okay, it's not all bad...

I got a bit too carried away on my last rant, the truth is that many in this generation do have their heads on straight. Like my co-worker who told me that he's looking into starting a retirement fund (he's 20). And a friend of mine who judiciously manages a nice portfolio of Wells Fargo stock and a mutual fund. Natalie and I are doing our part, saving about 50% of our income and keeping our hands off our Roth IRA and REIT mutual fund. We graduated college without a lick of debt and with a positive cash flow. Despite the fact that we're uninsurable by the scam artists in the health insurance world, we're doing ok for ourselves. And the solution to so many problems is so simple- live beneath your means. Sure, hard times do hit, but in most cases, saving money and being fiscally conservative are surefire ways to prevent financial catastrophe. The hard part is being conservative when the money is flowing in. But a little bit of self-restraint goes a long way.

Lots of debt...

The news today reported that Hillary Clinton's presidential campaign not only ended unsuccessfully, but $22 million in debt. And of course she wants people to help bail her out. First of all, is this someone we wanted to have in office? Someone who accumulates that kind of debt certainly doesn't have the financial sense to preside over the nation. Bush has already made record gains in the country's debt, and the democrats say they would do better. I'm not convinced. This reflects the nation's current philosophy on finances- rack up as much debt as you want, and then either file for bankruptcy or hope Uncle Sam will bail you out. Hillary should cough up the dough from her own coffers (which are substantial) and not expect someone else to pay up for her failed presidential bid. But like I said, this is the same financial approach that so many Americans have. I was listening to the radio tonight, one of those personal finance shows, and this couple had two mortgages, $87,000 in credit card debt, a $20,000 car loan, and various other financial obligations. There was another story I heard last week about a housekeeper who was "conned" into getting a loan for a $400,000 house. Does this make any sense? The fiscal irresponsiblity of these people is appalling. And we're not talking about poor single mothers who are facing hard times, no, we're talking about double income, $300,000 per year couples who spend like drunken sailors, and people with no financial sense getting themselves strapped down by huge mortgages because they don't do a single bit of research or homework. Like the woman CNN interviewed that was losing her home because she couldn't make the payments- and her quotable statement, "I dint know nuttin bout whats an adjustable rate mortgage". Excuse me? You don't understand, even conceptually, what an ARM is and you think you can buy a house? These stories aside, the fact that a presidential candidate runs up a multi million dollar debt is a scathing indictment that America has no financial sense, from the bottom all the way to the very top.

100 mpg

By the way, I filled up the scooter yesterday and determined it's efficiency- looks like we've been getting a cool 100 mpg.

now for other ridiculous things

I've focused on energy and transportation issues so far, but now it's time to mention some other items of interest... Health care has been a hot topic recently. The democratic presidential candidates talked about it all the time, but now that there's a nominee, no one's mentioned it for a while. We did some research on health care in class last semester, and it is quite complex. Anyways, Natalie and I have been trying to apply for health insurance. Obviously they won't pay for maternity, but we just wanted something for the "just in case" scenarios. Also, health insurance is required for attending the university. Despite our attempts to get insurance, it seems that we're uninsurable. Two healthy twenty-something college grads can't get insurance. Sure, Natalie is pregnant, but you would think we had terminal brain cancer or something. These insurance companies are just as bad as I've always thought. The whole plan is to rip you off in the first place, and if there is any chance that they'll have to pay something, they'll reject your application. Despite my pro-capitalism stance, I just don't see how the current system is serving peoples' needs. Private business is good for so many things, but with health care, the bottom line should not come first.

The end of an era- let's hope

This in the news today-

WILMINGTON, Del. - General Motors is closing four truck and SUV plants in the U.S., Canada and Mexico, affecting 10,000 workers, as surging fuel prices hasten a dramatic shift to smaller vehicles.
CEO Rick Wagoner said Tuesday before the automaker’s annual meeting in Delaware the plants to be idled are in Oshawa, Ontario; Moraine, Ohio; Janesville, Wis.; and Toluca, Mexico. He also said the iconic Hummer brand will be reviewed and potentially sold or revamped. -AP

Looks like the demise of the SUV is well on its way. And with any luck the Hummer will go the way of the dinosaurs.

I saw gas at $3.99 today. I guess I was a bit conservative a few weeks back when I guessed that gas would hit $4 before the year was out... how about the month?

I'm loving the scooter. I took the wheel off today to get a new tire put on it so it'll pass safety. $20 for a tire is something I can live with, and there are only two of them!

$4.00 fill up

We picked up our little red scooter today and drove it home. It's so much more fun than a car; even at 45 I felt as though I was flying down the road. We went to the honda dealership and bought some nice helmets and goggles- safety first! It might be an added $130 expense, but it's better than hitting your head on some nice soft pavement. The scooter was low on gas, so we took it to the gas station, and topped her off with only $4.00 of gas. It keeps up with city traffic great, even with the two of us. One day is all it took- I'm a scooterist.

the elite form of travel

Newsweek has an article on what would happen if oil hit $200/barrel. Things sure would change, but we're ready- we just bought our insurance for the unsure energy future. It's a red 2006 Honda Elite 80. 90 mpg and way more fun than a car. Now we can zip around town using less than a third of the gas that my car uses. If only more people would do the same. Most of the cars on the road are only carrying one person and little or no cargo. Scooters are the way to go. How is it that Europe and Asia have been doing this for years, but in the US we insist on having three cars (or SUVs) in every driveway? And theres no excuse for city dwellers, where most places are only a few miles away. It feels good to escape from a bulky, inefficient automobile and it's expensive fuel.