My LTTE in Today's Journal Sentinel

[Jeff In Milwaukee]

So how competitive is Lehman Brothers today? Is Merrill Lynch still feeling bullish? Now that we've had the savings and loan meltdown, the dot-com bubble, the mortgage crisis and now the collapse of the financial market, one can't help but wonder how long the American people will allow this nonsense to continue.

These economic crises used to happen all the time, of course, until we elected a president in 1932 who believed that, left to their own greed, industries would ruin themselves when given the opportunity. And so the federal government began regulating markets in order protect them from self-destruction.

In 1980, conservatives began deregulating industries, arguing that we needed to free up our economy to be more competitive. The fact that every other industrialized nation is more highly regulated (and more competitive) than the United States was ignored by the conservatives.

Deregulation as an economic policy won the day, and today we are reaping the consequences of that policy. Until the federal government disentangles itself from corporate influence and greed, we can expect more days like this in our future.


I received a call at home today from Jerry, who is a retired J-S press operator. He complimented me on the letter and said he feels the same way. That was a switch -- living in Brookfield, I've received obscene rants in the past!

[Broca]

1. Did you use the online form or

send it to the email? I sent one in 3 or 4 days ago but have neither heard nor seen anything.

[Jeff In Milwaukee]

3. I submitted through their website.

I've had 4-5 letters in during the last two years, and that's the only way I've ever done it.

[fudge stripe cookays]

2. Fabulous!

And congrats!

I'm still bummed reprehensor and I didn't get to meet you and Connonym's. :-(

[Jeff In Milwaukee]

4. I was looking forward to it, as well...

Mrs. Jeff in Milwaukee got called in to work, so I was providing limousine services to the kids all day.