Notwithstanding $29 seems a bit stiff for a breakfast in Coos County, even at The Mill Casino, I was thinking it might be worth attending the 18th Annual Economic Outlook Forum. To be held next Friday, the local newspaper presents it as a chance for Coos citizens to experience, up close and personal, the profundities of ‘renowned economists’ on the local, state and national fiscal outlook.
We don’t get enough of that here and it sounded promising until I read a couple of editorials written by the keynote speaker, John Mitchell, formerly of US Bank and now a consultant in Portland. In a word, (two actually), ‘old school’!
The last year has shown us why the Federal Reserve was created in 1913 to keep the system functioning — by adding liquidity and seeking to prevent a collapse of the U.S. economy. The Fed is buying time for orderly processes to wind down some institutions while at the same time trying to make people responsible for their actions.
There is no way I will be spending $29 to hear another mechanized, platitude laden mantra pushing the same policies that got us into this mess. The centralized banking system, in theory might be a good idea but it hasn’t worked out so well yet and the Federal Reserve has pretty much missed every major economic indicator to date.
For some important information about Oregon I suggest you read Food Insecurity, Hunger and the Great Recession about food insecurity in Oregon during the expected economic downturn.
Recession’s Impact on Oregon Hunger Rate is Flat or Rising Hunger is the most severe form of food insecurity. It is the “uneasy or painful sensation caused by a lack of food; the recurrent and involuntary lack of access to food.” The USDA no longer uses the term “hunger,” employing instead the term “very low food security.” A household is considered as having very low food security if “the food intake of one or more household members was reduced and their eating patterns were disrupted at times during the year because the household lacked money and other resources for food.” In other words, someone in the house was forced to go hungry because of inadequate access to food.
This is what Coos County is facing and coughing up thirty bucks telling us what we already know, just seems silly
After reading his editorials and some comments about his talks I betcha I could write his keynote speech for him.
1) more regulation will come along to keep banks in line and make borrowers more responsible
2) the federal reserve will hold the economy in balance, like a mighty mast in a blustery wind
etc
Wonder if the breakfast proceeds go to pay the keynote speaker.
Ha! You silly billy! We all know how much the banksters care about the poor and hungry don’t we? He’ll bring pom poms for the local “movers and shakers” as they are sometimes referreed to, and they can all nod approvingly,smile their big shiny smiles and off they’ll go to spread the good cheer. It is the holidays remember, and we must smile and wear cheery pins on our lapels, and donate a bag of cans to some poor people, then be on our way.
They could have saved hundreds if not thousands of dollars hosting this particular speaker instead of donating that money to a local food bank or coat drive. When will they learn ? Talk about a fishbowl.
Thirty dollars to listen to a banker blow more smoke at you, and pretend you aren’t going to suffer like those “other” people are. Just wait banksters, two more years with the tea party in the Senate and you’ll be standing on the corner by Freddys too.
Cynical? Dam right I’m cynical, people are hurting and suffering and going without and these folks are paying thirty dollars to listen to an institutional banker tell them everything is on the up-tik. Not one bank executive has even been charged for what they did to this nation/world.
Don’t rob a bank with a gun, buy the bank,then rob it. No consequenses at all.