The Economy

I haven't really written down my thoughts on our current economic situation. Since I am utterly disgusted by what happened yesterday, I figured it was time to get my opinion out there.


Due to the fact that my degree is from the Richard J. Wehele School of Business, I was required to take some economics classes. And what economics will teach you, is that all economies go through cycles of highs and lows. That's completely normal and happens in every single economic situation. So there are always going to be times of growth and recession. So based on that fact, I can say that, while unfortunate, a recession is a normal business cycle for an economy.

I am as shocked as the next person to find out that all of these banks and businesses are having trouble. I can't believe such large companies are going under...Lehman Brothers, Merrill Lynch, Washington Mutual, just to name a few. And even the largest mortgage lenders, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, had some serious trouble.

Do you know why I think that there was such an awful mortgage crisis? It's because banks were lending to people who couldn't afford it. I know it's the American dream to own your own house. I love the fact that I am a homeowner. But I purchased a home that I could afford. Many of the people that were given mortgages couldn't afford it. If you were a bank, why would you give money to someone that wouldn't be able to pay it back? It just doesn't seem to make sense to me.

I don't know how we remedy this situation. Right now there are a ton of homes that banks own and no one wants to buy. It's sad that so many people are losing their homes. But perhaps taking on a mortgage for a house that's worth 6 times what you make in a year isn't a good idea.

And then comes the bailout. I don't agree with the bailout. I think it's just making the economy worse. The $700 billion dollars is really our money. I don't enjoy helping out people who don't really appreciate what they have been given. I think the government should have done something, but I don't know if the bailout was the right thing.

Now comes the auto industry failures. Due to the fact that I don't have enough time to discuss my issues with the auto industry and the union. But right now, the fact that the government is mulling over the request is a good thing. And I think they should use this as an example for the next requests that come along.

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I started this post a few days ago and don't feel as passionate this evening as I did then. But I still don't feel that what the government is doing is right. I guess we'll have to see how much longer this recession lasts and what else happens with every other American!

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Quick update on life:

I spent the weekend with Paul and it was amazing. We've just been having a lot of great times together and I absolutely love it. Spending quality time with the people you love is never a bad thing. Saturday morning, he surprised me with breakfast in bed. Can I say how much I *heart* him?!? That was such an awesome surprise and I just loved it like crazy!!

Saturday was a busy day! After breakfast, we headed to my parents to help them decorate the Christmas tree and bake some cookies. Hopefully I'll have some time to get over there again this week, so we can decorate them together, too. I love those gingerbread cookies!

My current weight is 113.6 lbs. I am determined to get into shape and lose this extra fat. So starting tomorrow, my diet is starting. I am going to work out and start to eat healthier. I am holding myself accountable via my blog. We'll see how this works. It's my goal to be in better shape and have my clothes fit again. I know losing 10 lbs isn't a reasonable goal. So I think having my clothes fit and losing the muffin top is what I'm looking to see. I'd love to be able to run a 5K. Maybe that'll happen. I have to be dedicated. Really dedicated.

It's getting late and I should probably get to bed.