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Drop us a line! Head on over to The Rockwood Mailbag at any time to leave us a message! It's easy!

Consider it an experiment in web interactivity. Or, consider it a way to artificially inflate our hit count. Either way, just write in!

 
February 4, 2009,

Seems like a lot of potty mouths on the strip lately. We didn't have this when Old What's His Name was President. What does this mean?

--Jim Rockwood

 
Oh, we don't think it has anything to do with the president, Jim. Of Bale and Blagojevich, only the governor has any ties to Obama. That part is just coincidence.

What it really means is that thanks to tiny recording equipment and reality TV, no place is safe anymore. If you're a public figure, you can't say anything anywhere about anyone without worrying it will end up on YouTube and get huge. It's not our line, but who'd have guessed Big Brother would go commercial?

 
February 9, 2009,

I remember your grandfather saying that paying taxes was a privilege. Of course back then, in the 60's, people were proud of their heritage and supported the government because the government was about taking care of the people. Those who came from other countries went through all the legal and proper channels and became citizens because we were a free country and they too wanted a job and were willing to pay taxes.

When your dad and I wanted to go to college, we got a loan and we paid back the loan when we got a job and earned money and paid taxes. Because there was a shortage of educators, we could get some of our loan forgiven if we became a teacher. Today, if you don't have money, the government pays your tuition and supports you while you get a higher education. Paying the money back is not expected. A free ride is expected.

Our freedoms are now being challenged and aliens are commonplace. Babies are being born in to this world from mothers that have no means of support. Corporate leaders are living high off the hog while expecting government bailouts to pay the bills.

Does Rockwood have a solution?

--Alyce

 
As a matter of fact, we do, Alyce! We call it the "fail and responsibility" plan.

First, we have to diagnose the problem. This part is easy. The fault belongs to: EVERYBODY! Well, not us here at Team Rockwood, because we're fiscally responsible. But everybody else. The banks are at fault for pressuring people into loans they couldn't afford. The people are at fault for shunning good financial advice so they could buy houses (or TVs or cars) that were over their budgets. The government is at fault for pressuring banks into lending money to people the banks ordinarily would not have. See a pattern here? In all of these cases, one party thought that another party would pick up the slack for their financial irresponsibility.

So here's where the "responsibility" part of our plan comes in. Everyone is responsible for themselves. People can't blame the banks. Banks can't blame the people. The government can't tell either of them who can or can't get loans.

And the "fail?" Well, mismanaged banks that make sub-prime loans to people who can't afford them will be allowed to fail. People who take out adjustable rate mortgages when the rate can only go up will be allowed to go broke. The government, again, will keep their noses out of it and allow both to happen.

The best part of our plan is that it's about $800 billion cheaper than the current administration's plan. That's a pretty significant savings. Also, because the economy will most likely recover on its own, it's just as likely to work.

So, "fail and responsibility" restores the economy to a self-supporting system as it should be, as opposed to a semi-socialist state where everything is run from a centralized government. And in the process, it reduces the deficit, making America even stronger. Great plan, eh? Maybe we should have run for president! Nahhhh...