It is not because I was raised in California in the 60s, vote Democratic, eat granola or need a job. (I don’t. I have two, thank you) It’s not because I’ve made or lost a fortune in the stock market, am I anti-American, anti-corporation or want to bring capitalism to its bloody knees. I do not want to share my personal story of loss, health insurance, rate-jacking on credit card rates or banking fees here, I take responsibility for the decisions I’ve made and their consequences. And I’ll leave the commentary on the inner-machinations of who/how/why we got here to the pundits and those far more adept at these things than I.
Most of my professional life has been spent working in television and as theater artist; actor, director & playwright, and I’ve made a living doing what I love. I am at home with the dramatic expression of ideas, comfortable with change and used to the variables of a 1099 income. Suffice it to say Occupy Wall Street is not my first drum circle jam. But that’s not why I’m speaking out. Six years ago, when the prospect of single-motherhood was looming, I got my real estate license, worked my ass off in a difficult market and for the most part it has been good to me (I’m used to the variable income, remember?). I’ve worked the luxury market, helped buyers find their first homes, move up to larger spaces, and have numerous investors who’ve increased their cash flow with rental and fix & flip properties. I find it very gratifying and I’m good at it.
I support Occupy Wall Street because as a Realtor©, I have worked to save clients from foreclosure, spent hours negotiating with banks over short sales, sat around kitchen tables listening to frustrations with loan modifications, and spent as much on tissue as I have on champagne. (Okay, I exaggerate, but you get the idea.) I have seen this at all income levels and from clients who did not take out loans they could not afford, use their homes as ATMs or over-purchase. When they bought the future was bright and the payments were manageable. When the bubble burst and a few of life’s bumps hit (illness, divorce, job loss or downsizing) they tried valiantly to keep their obligations and pay the mortgage…until the day they couldn’t and their homes were worth less than they owed.
We may not all share an aching drive to be rich, but I’d bet that most of us want to work hard, prosper and live comfortably enough to invest in our futures, save for our children’s college and be prepared for retirement. We’d even like a vacation or two. For years we’ve trod along hoping things would get better and worked hard to make that a reality, even if the price of our hope was the depletion of our savings. At last we are exhausted. Too many Silverado, WorldCom and Goldman Sachs sagas played out on the nightly news, followed by stories of bailouts and bonuses for those who’ve shamelessly played fast and loose with our lives.
The tide has turned in America and around the world. The tsunami is hurling us forward faster than we’ve ever collectively moved before and there is no turning back. The social/political, dare I say… evolution is upon us, the old ways are outmoded and there’s no point in retreating to their ice age. It is time to start the conversation. We’ll figure out what the next best step is, but for now… shut up and listen.
WHY I SUPPORT THE OCCUPY MOVEMENT
About Tracy Shaffer
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Well said Tracy! Too many people thing that ignoring the protests will make it go away. For their sake and for all ours, it IS time for everyone to be part of the conversation.p.s: I sort of echo your thoughts in my latest blog post too.
There are a lot of people who are unaware of what is going on out there. They don’t see/read/hear the stories about people who until relatively recently had never been unemployed, who had taken out “responsible” loans and had always been productive members of society.
They haven’t experienced the heartbreak and headache of working with banks to try to save their homes. They don’t see how hard it is or experience the pain of working in good faith with an entity that does not.
It is no fun to use your tax dollars to bail out the giant only to be told that you don’t get the same sort of help.
wow – talk about timing!
“It is no fun to use your tax dollars to bail out the giant only to be told that you don’t get the same sort of help.”
I was laid off from a tech job last month – first layoff in my 15 year career. I am experiencing the same…exact…thing with my BofA mortgage. I had taken out a good loan to buy my house just before my daughter was born >4 years ago. I have never missed a payment – never late. Ever. Unemployment accounts for about 1/2 of the mortgage. The rest and other living expenses come from my savings.
Here is the banks reply to my initial request to defer mortgage payments for up to 2 months while I get another job:
“Thank you for your recent internet inquiry addressed to the Customer Service Department pertaining to the payment and hardship.
We sincerely apologize but we are unable to accommodate your request to defer your payment. There are no features on your loan that allow skipping or deferring of your mortgage payment.
If you find it easier to make multiple small payments throughout the month, perhaps one of our payment plans would work for you. In addition, there may be government programs that could assist you in payments.”
So let me get this straight: government (taxpayers) bailed them out and they refer me to a government (taxpayer) assistance program?!?
Here was my response to BofA:
“”There are no features on your loan that allow skipping or deferring of your mortgage payment”. You mean like Bank of America taking a multi-billion dollar tax-payer funded bailout? I find it sickening that BofA would not be there for a longtime customer who has never missed a payment. I will be closing all of my accounts this week and will be concluding all future business with Bank of America. Further still, I will encourage others to discontinue business with Bank of America.
Hopefully I get the job I am interviewing for tomorrow. Great post post and thank you
-J