Yes, it’s snowing in Vegas. Actually, snowing for the second time this week. But this time they have actually cancelled school. Yay, I guess.
Elsewhere tomorrow, the Feds are meeting to talk about reining in some of the abuses controvertial practices that credit card companies have used to bilk it’s most strapped customers. These include but are surely not limited to “practices like raising the interest rates on pre-existing credit card balances unless a payment is over 30 days late, and applying payments in a way that maximizes interest penalties.” It’s about freaking time.
In closing (yes, already): if we can’t agree that the death penalty is wrong, can we at least agree that it costs too much money?; Carrie brings us a dose of JapanFilter and the lack of safety net for workers who lose their jobs; some fscinating charts on what has happened to the American consumer; Maha on the middle class, wages, and the UAW; the head of the SEC admits they had warnings about what Madoff was up to and he has no good explanation for why they didn’t do anything about it; a Month Without Chryslers; and some renters who took matters into their own hands.
And still the amendments to the credit card companies allowable practices has been forestalled for eighteen months more. I guess that means up to another eighteen months of badgering my elected representatives to have these changes IMMEDIATELY instituted. I guess the prospect of borrowing money from the fed at zero percent AND collecting the existing fees and penalties is just a little difficult for them to relinquish.