Chuck Newton

People Out Of Work Due To No Fault Of Their Own And Their Health Insurance Are In The Crosshairs Of The GOP's Unprincipled Actions

Admittedly, I do not care for a lot of the policies of Congress and especially the behavior of the Republicans in Congress of late.  But, I do not get particularly angry over most of it even though it has some effect over our everyday lives. The reason is that I do not think Congress is out to intentionally hurt ordinary people who are suffering due to no real fault of their own. That is not the case with the "Bunning Blockade" of an extension of unemployment benefits and COBRA help for those whose unemployment benefits have not run out. Contrary to Senator Kyl's recent, and unfortunate comments, unemployment benefits amount to really no money for a family. At best all it does is put some bread on the table while their entire lives are caving in. It keeps them from being totally destitute. Cobra assistance in the short term allows them to seek necessary medial attention. If many people lose this insurance coverage, because of pre-existing conditions, then all coverage is lost. People with cancer and other terrible diseases, that are just getting by are lost. We can argue about the Bush bailout, the Obama stimulus, the car companies and the war spending, but we do not let the least of us suffer unnecessarily. We do not do that. And, when we allow this to happen we are all a wretched lot indeed. It is important to know that these are not principled decisions by people like Bunning and Kyl. If they were principled decision then they would have applied them throughout their career in Congress other than right now when not industry, or highways, or wars, or big business or the rich are are not involved, but when it is the least among us suffering. This is, simply stated, un-Godly. It would be like saying that we cannot go in and help those stranded in New Orleans when it flooded because we have not paid for it. The victims in Haiti and Chili must stay buried because we have not had time to reconfigure the budget to take them into account. Bunning especially, but also all of those that allowing this to continue, are evil. I see it no other way. The damage to these poor people is already upon us all. They might as well be taking the food off the tables of these families and throwing the sick out of the hospitals and clinics and into the streets themselves. Real people are going to die as a result of these actions. There is no doubt about this. Try to justify it on your own damnation if you will.

Rick Wagoner's Home Vs. My Home

Okay, the GOP is upset because, although they thought Rick Wagoner should step down when Bush was proposing to bailout GM, President Obama told Rick Wagoner he should resign.  They wanted President Bush to tell him to go, but President Obama actually told him.  I can see why the GOP leadership is upset with Obama.  Poor Rick will only get $20 million to leave a failing company ahead of what will probably be a controlled bankruptcy filing.  It is hardly enough for him to keep up his home.

Below is a picture of his home.

It is obviously a lot better than my home, but then I never help destroy an entire sector of the economy by my shear incompetence.  Therefore, I do not get a $20 million severance package, and I have to live with less.

Below is a picture of my meager home.

I do not have the perfectly manicured lawns that Mr. Wagoner has, but then I do have a nice relaxing backyard as you can see.

Do not be jealous of me, Mr. Wagoner.

Your Senators Need To Support Senate Bill 61 - Helping Families Save Their Homes In Bankruptcy Act Of 2009. These Videos Show Why.

I think what these videos show are banks and lenders seemingly not working with people in any constructive way to save their homes.  It is haphazard at best.  It also show people not so much plagued by terribly bad decisions but by reasonable risks except for the economy leading them to unemployment of underemployment.  These are people overcome by and large by the intolerance of large financial institutions that tell Congress one thing and do another.  Namely, that they are working with people to modify mortgages and they are not except as it as it suits their needs to keep inventories of foreclosed homes lower or some such reason.  These people express their fears and sorrows in a real sense, but what this pain represents is a complete lack of adequate due process.  What is needed, and needed now, is an independent arbiter that is not there just to enforce laws written for the benefit of the mega lenders.  That would be the bankruptcy courts.  We need to rewrite our laws now to allow bankruptcy judges to modify mortgages to limit these kinds of personal tragedies from happening.

The statistics are daunting.  Currently, over 6,600 American families a day are going through what you see on these videos, and they are losing their homes to foreclosure.  In the next five years over 8 million families will lose their homes to foreclosure.  Bankruptcy reform to allow the adjustment of mortgages costs the taxpayers nothing, unlike the huge trillion dollar bailouts to these financial institutions.

You need to go online, get the phone number and email address of your United States Senators, contact them and tell them to support Senate Bil 61 - Helping Families Save Their Homes in Bankruptcy Act of 2009.  You need to do it now.

If you need a portal to do this easily, you can call you senator through a toll free number provided by NACBA at 877-354-4958, or you may email them by clicking on this NACBA SITE.

You really can stop much of this suffering.  You need to do it now.

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

Bill White Announces He Will Run For The Senate From Texas In 2010. I Am Hooking My Horse To This Wagon.

Bill White is the very popular three term mayor of Houston, Texas.  He has announced that he is going to try to build the support base to run for and win the United States Senate seat in Texas in 2010.

Ronnie, Howard & Andy For Obama

See more Ron Howard videos at Funny or Die

Paris Hilton Gives Her Take To John McCain's Celebrity TV Ad

I think Paris Hilton does a good job of responding to the silliness of John McCain's Obama attack ad including her, and the even sillier debate that followed.

See more funny videos at Funny or Die

The Falling Economy Roundup

A falling economy is not necessarily bad for the practice of law.  There is nothing like fights over money to spur disagreements and force companies and individuals into divorce and bankruptcy and lawsuits (or even arbitration).  Then there are those that are trying to correct the problem, such as some alternative energy companies, that have to force through approval for their plans.  You can say power up lawyers, the sky is falling and it is going to ultimately take a lot of lawyering to correct his mess.  But, that does not mean we want it.  After all, it does effect us as well.  In trying to run offices, homes and put our kids through school the last thing we want to see are increasing fuel prices, grocery prices, interest rates, and soaring tuition.

Here is the roundup.  You tell me if there is any good news in any of this?

There was a huge sell off on Wall Street today even though oil prices are dropping a little; New home construction falls in May; Bond rates spike on fears of inflation effectively raising the costs of money; Big Banks are having to cut their dividends; Congress is going after oil speculators in a slue of new bills introduced; The Fed has to acution of $75 billion to banks to avoid liquidity troubles; Wholesale inflation spikes even higher; Industrial production dips in May; Best Buy's profit falls 7% in the 1st quarter; Builders' confidence matches a record low; Investment bank Lehmann Brothers loses almost $3 billion; 73,000 homes lost ot foreclosure in May alone; Some real estate markets are expecting price drops as much as 50%; China is now telling us how to run operate our economy and not visa versa; American auto manufactures continue to idle factories and cut jobs; First indictments are coming against Bear Sterms executives as a result of the credit crises; Price of bananas rise 36%; and the worse indicator is that a Manhattan judge reduces the inheritance of Leona Helmsley's dog from $12 million to $2 million.  A dog cannot even get a break in this economy.

You Tell Them Katy!

I tend to think, as Katy Couric indicates, that we have come a lot further in this country, and especially in regard to the Democratic Party, in resolving racism than in sexism.

I have a wife who is a lawyer, and went to law school well before entering law school admissions were anything but equal.  I have two daughters, one of them in law school.  Regardless of the outcome of this presidential race, I have been continually embarrassed and repulsed, angry even, by the sexism that has taken place by otherwise respected people in the media, as well as those outside the media.

Over the years, and including today, the situation in our courts is not much different in the attitude among well educated lawyers against women.  Sure, they have allowed some women in their firms and some have been appointed or elected to the bench.  More women are being excepted and graduating from law school, and that is a plus.  But, what happens when a female judge rules against a male lawyer.  Quite often, I can assure you, it results in sexist if not sexually related remarks out of the courtroom among the other male lawyers.  Often angery but not such hyper sexual remarks are made when a male judge rules against a male lawyer.  And, such comments are most often made against female lawyers in the courtroom varying to how the male lawyer would like to bed them to accusations that she is a "bitch" or "lesbian" depending largely on the female lawyers looks and adversarial position against the male lawyer.

I think we can pretend that it does not happen or happen much or that we believe down deep that a woman is equal, and is treated as such, but it is simply not true.  At least in Court and in regard to female lawyers and judges, this stuff happens every single day.

So, with this said, I agree with Katy Couric's notebook.

Or, Is It That I Will Litigate For Food?

Visit My Political Page

You cannot much comment on the practice of law and the Third Wave without being at least someone attuned to the politics of the day.  Everything it does effects us in so many ways.  This is especially true of solo practitioners and Third Wave lawyers.  Health insurance issues, retirement, the issues concerning access to the Internet, telephony, are all subjects and debates raging right now that dramatically impact our practices.  It is difficult to discuss one without the other, for it does not matter what you want to do if there are politicians, parties and groups out there trying to deprive you of the tools necessary to practice as you wish.  You do not have to agree with me on political issues.  That is not the point.  It is the debate that is important, and I want at least something to do with that debate.  I want to put my two cents in from time to time.  That said, I have tried not to do so much on this blog because that is not the direct purpose.  Therefore, I have created My Political Page for this purpose.  I encourage you to visit it.