Oprah channels ACORN
Oprah has jumped aboard the foreclosure prevention bandwagon — channeling ACORN’s propaganda campaign to support President Obama’s massive mortgage entitlement expansion.
She’s in Sacramento playing the world’s smallest violin for families who bought more home than they could afford and are now paying the consequences.
I am not shedding tears:
“I think it’s wonderful that Oprah and her crew are giving a voice to this crisis,” Steeb said. “The crisis is much bigger than Sacramento, and the bottom line is we need help to serve the huge number of people that we are now seeing.”
Burke said Winfrey’s producers contacted Loaves & Fishes earlier this month, and said they singled out Sacramento because of its high number of home foreclosures and its growing homeless population.
“I told them that we had a system of care that was overwhelmed even before the recession hit, and that we now are seeing more newly homeless people than ever before.”
Soon, a crew was on the way.
Among the “newly homeless” featured in the show will be Favor Whitesides, who is 36 years old and has three children ages 9 to 13.
Whitesides and her husband, Ryan, lost their home last year after they got in over their heads on an adjustable mortgage, she said. She now lives at the Family Promise shelter at Loaves & Fishes. Her children attend Mustard Seed School. Her husband is bunking with friends.
After living in hotels, run-down apartments and at the Cal Expo winter shelter for a time, Whitesides said, she is grateful to have found Family Promise.
But she never thought she would need such a program.
“Not long ago, we had a Lincoln Navigator and a beautiful home. We had it all,” said Whitesides. “It’s really shocking for my kids to be living this way. But they’re resilient. They’ll be OK.”
Whitesides is hardly proud of her situation but said she thought it was important to tell her story. “People need to know that this can happen, and about programs like this,” she said of Loaves & Fishes.
“This” doesn’t just “happen.”
Falling into debt isn’t like bad weather.
You make choices.
You put your family and your children in this position.
You bought a Lincoln Navigator instead of saving up to pay your mortgage bills.
You made it happen.
Fire Oprah. We need a Dave Ramsey intervention here ASAP.
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Categories: 7/7 attacks, John McCain
Oh goody–more lies.
Just like: ‘anyone can get AIDS’.
Does anyone ever ask ‘where are the families of these people? Why are they not being helped by their own families?’
I think we know the answer, or are afraid of it.
I wonder how many of the illegal aliens that bought many those homes will even know that Oprah is out the for them?
A standard adjustable mortgage does not just spike up in the present market. This is likely an interest only product with a loaded back end that hit the calendar trigger to conversion to an amortized mortgage. In other words, a no document loan or a bridge mortgage. This homeowner knew the day was coming from the get-go and speculated that the house could be sold at a profit before the trigger was pulled.
I will support this when the people of Hawaii take back the half of Maui that Winfrey “owns”.
America! The land of victims!
Sheesh!
Letting them deal with the mess they created. Just like everyone else should.
and this is some how my responsibility to bail this family out? Just because they chose to get in over their heads?
You want to help them oprah. Crack open your purse and do it on your own freaking dime . An stay the hell out of my wallet.
now how did they go from losing their home to a shelter?
You know they have these things called apartments and houses for rent .
and dont give me the bs you couldnt get a rental because you ruined your credit .
cash talks and bs walks
Well, except the common sense not to live above your means.
Oprah – put a sock in it! This woman thinks she is our moral conscience!! Well, actually Mookie does but Oprah has a bigger audience.
My point exactly, taylork….
notice how no one asked Whitesides that question?
Dave Ramsey for President!! I am so concerned that our fundamental American spirit is being lost to these non-tax-paying, government-begging, irresponsible whiners!
Maybe Angelina & Brad will build her a new house.
Here’s a sign…our fundamental American spirit is just about to ride into the sunset I’m afraid.
How much cash is Oprah putting up to solve the problem? She’s part of the 2% the Pres O keeps talking about taking up the slack.
C’mon Oprah, get out your check book and buy this woman a house.
Let’s see… A Lincoln Navigator starts at over $50,000. On a 6 year loan, that gives you payments of nearly $900.
I’ll bet they weren’t even making enough money to pay for that.
Do I blame the money lenders? Yes! For being that stupid.
On February 25th, 2009 at 12:07 pm, MagicalPat said:
Let’s see… A Lincoln Navigator starts at over $50,000. On a 6 year loan, that gives you payments of nearly $900.
I’ll bet they weren’t even making enough money to pay for that.
Do I blame the money lenders? Yes! For being that stupid.
————————————-
In the case of the car dealer who went along with financing the Navigator for people who clearly wouldn’t be able to make the payments, yes. In the case of the banks, we can thank ACORN and people in our own government for pressuring them to make “sub-prime”loans (in other words, home mortgages to people who can’t really afford them). But, yes, they DID cave under that pressure.
Somebody out in granola land do a background check on these two.
Also, a credit check.
The wreckage won’t be much of a surprise.
I would argue that these events reflect a problem of getting away from a “concentric circles” notion of charity and going straight to governmental sources instead. First, immediate family. Second, close friends or extended family. Pick your order. Third, church. Fourth, local community charity.
The problem with eliminating the concentric circles is that it eliminates the shame involved in making the request (where, as in the case recounted, it clearly applies). And whether shame is a factor or not, eliminating the concentric circles also eliminates the gratitude of the recipients and converts their mentality into one of entitlement and dependence. Sure, even with charity provided within the concentric circles you may have ingratitude, but recipients are much less likely to be ungrateful to a family member than a bureaucrat.
No sympathy. Stupid mistake. Bad break. But tough sh*t.
On February 25th, 2009 at 12:04 pm, walterc said:
How much cash is Oprah putting up to solve the problem? She’s part of the 2% the Pres O keeps talking about taking up the slack.
C’mon Oprah, get out your check book and buy this woman a house.
————————————–
Problem solved, no more tears, Oprah. In fact, I’ll bet you could do the same for several more – if not all – of the foreclosure “victims” who are driving you to tears. Put your own money where those tears are.
Dear Miss Oprah has my permission to sell all she has, give it to the poor-stop foreclosures-whatever- pick up her cross and follow her conscience or President Obama. What Dear Miss “How are Your Hemorrhoids” does NOT have my permission to do is take my money and give it to someone else.
As with so many of these celebrity elites, would be elites perhaps, she is terribly generous with other people’s money. Have President and First Lady Obama opened their Chicago mansion to the poor? Has Shawn Penn, Robert Redford or BaBa Streisand opened ANY of their resort homes to the poor?
Liars, hypocrites, charlatans and frauds all of them. I do know that I gave more to charity the President Obama and VP Biden combined. So my Dear Miss Oprah hit those two slackers up for a contribution. When I see a few of these Liberal whiners doing good, giving to the poor-selling all they have THEN I will consider joining with them in a project.
Yes mistakes happen; good people make made decisions. Take the hit and don’t do that again. When I was a young boy my family worked the fields. I do not recall any Hollywood celebrity types coming by with a cup of water for us. Edward R. Marrow made a TV special about it. I would have rather had a cup of water so we brought our own. We didn’t have a Lincoln Navigator either. But we did take care of our own and helped those with less. Never would my parents even consider going on the dole or talking poor.
Dear Miss Oprah and her celebrity friends might try that-they have my permission. Wimps.
—
ALCOHOL, TOBACCO AND FIREARMS
Should be a convenience store
NOT a Government Agency
I agree…I too am just a victim, of vast socioeconomic and biological forces that I have no control over…
send me a check it will make you feel better…
Thank you, Buckeye
Although the sin of ingratitude is a great one indeed, there is no ’sin’ in the land of shamelessness. There is no morality within these people.
What did I do?
You can’t stop the stupid from doing what it is they do.
I bailed a sister of mine out two years ago…let her live one of my houses for free. What does she do? Max out as many credit cards as she can and buy two new cars. One has already been repossessed. She’s counting on me being nice because she has three kids. I know, I know, I’m enabler, but the Good Book says help if you can, doesn’t it?
Point is, the dumb will always be among us. Regardless of how many times they are bailed out, they will end up in the place they are working so hard to get to….rock bottom.
It also tells us to be ‘as wise as serpents and gentle as doves’.
it also says..pearls before swine.
Is this a surprise? Oprah helped forge Obama’s career. She’s a lifelong leftist which doesn’t make sense for a self-made millionaire. She’s part of the Alinksy, ACORN crowd. And I’ve met her numerous times. She’s about as foul and rude as you can imagine. Apparently all that new age psycho-babble really doesn’t make you into a better person.
On February 25th, 2009 at 12:19 pm, TXGator said:
You can’t stop the stupid from doing what it is they do.
I bailed a sister of mine out two years ago…let her live one of my houses for free. What does she do? Max out as many credit cards as she can and buy two new cars. One has already been repossessed. She’s counting on me being nice because she has three kids. I know, I know, I’m enabler, but the Good Book says help if you can, doesn’t it?
Point is, the dumb will always be among us. Regardless of how many times they are bailed out, they will end up in the place they are working so hard to get to….rock bottom.
#25On February 25th, 2009 at 12:22 pm, wighttrasch said:
the Good Book says help if you can, doesn’t it?
It also tells us to be ‘as wise as serpents and gentle as doves’.
—————————————
“The Lord helps those WHO HELP THEMSELVES”.
TX, I sympathize. Your sister is clearly taking advantage of you, using her children as leverage.
But someone so indigent that they need to stay rent-free in a relative’s house has no business maxing out credit cards and buying cars. She is, forgive me, a lazy user. Time for a trip to the woodshed.
On February 25th, 2009 at 12:19 pm, Mookie said:
On February 25th, 2009 at 11:59 am, Misscheryl said:
Oprah – put a sock in it! This woman thinks she is our moral conscience!! Well, actually Mookie does but Oprah has a bigger audience.
What did I do?
————————————-
Beats me, Mookie; I may be mistaken, but I don’t think I even saw any other posts by you on this thread.
I know I’m not doing my sister any favors by allowing her to avoid responsibilities. She is an absolute moron with a selfishness and lack of pride that is quite impressive. She’s teaching her kids to take, so there’s three more morons out in the world.
Their take? Everyone else is doing it, so I gotta get mine. Take care of number one, no matter who else gets hurt. This mindset is legion in today’s young people. Seems like everyone under 4o just doesn’t get it. Or maybe they do…have they figured out a way to have what they want without working for it?
If this is the prevailing philosophy of even 10% of Americans, we are in for a world of hurt. Something tells me the percentage is much higher.
You should see the neighborhood in Montecito where she lives…
Let’s not cast quite such a large blanket Gator. I’m 35, have no credit card debt, have never been late on my mortgage, and am mad as hell about having to pay for other peoples “mistakes”.
I don’t think that this is an age specific problem, though if there is data availble to prove me wrong, I apologize.
Hey, frostrt, sounds like you’ve met my sister.
You pegged her. Is there a cure for stupid?
Thank you. You gave me a springboard from which I could dive into a spiel that I’d been playing around with for a week or so.
I think a lot of people would be exercising much more prudence if they had to go to family and friends and local community for help.
Sorry if it’s politically incorrect, but this country needed a Lending Nazi along the lines of the Soup Nazi in Seinfeld. In other words, someone to “No Loan for you!”
‘Cast not your pearls before swine/lest they be trampled underfoot’ is how it goes, I believe.
See? He is telling us what not to do.
Simple. Tell her that you can’t let your nieces and nephews live on the street, so they can stay with you. But her, on the other hand…
Seriously, once kids get the “Get what I can” mentality, the only recovery is when/if they figure it out for themselves.
Hey, Hunter, no disrespect intended…I’m just going on my anecdotal history of events.
I’m only 36, by the way, and I’ve worked hard, spent nights in my car when I had no place to stay, eaten Ramen noodles for months on end, etc, whine, etc. The lesson I’ve learned is that if you never quit, good things will happen.
I was the first person in my family to graduate HS, much less go to college. They see themselves as victims in America, a country with so much opportunity. Main difference between them and me: they simply repeat their mistakes over and over again, will not admit their choices control their lives, and refuse to do whatever it takes to improve their lot.
I’ve been SO BLESSED to have so much hardship that now I can appreciate the gifts that have come my way. Sure, I worked hard, but I have been given so much more than I deserve thanks to God and this (once great?) nation.
Sorry to get all preachy on you….I’ll go back to making silly comments now.
I hear all of you on this, but there is a small group of quite few who are just now stuck with an upside down mortgage and no job.
Unlike octomom my brother bought a house he could afford and just three kids. If it wasn’t it for his military retirement check, he would be homeless. Living paycheck to paycheck here in California is tough but he remains quite not asking for the government to bail him but just to get back to work.
Too bad all the rotten apples (acorns)ruin the few good ones. Hey Oprah how about giving a handup to the quite few???
I’m no theologian so could someone tell me where in the bible it says “God helps those who help themselves”?
otherwise, I agree with the “wise as serpents, gentle as doves” and “pearls before swine” concepts as well as the poster in a previous thread who brought up the parable of the talents where the one who buried their money (ie didn’t use it wisely) was punished.
God is not a power freak looking to smite folks but nor is He a grandfather full of candy and money. The gov’t isn’t either (or, shouldn’t be.) There’s a balance expected to be held in life and knowing how much house you can afford is one small aspect of keeping yourself in balance.
No offense taken Gator, I just wanted to point it out. It seems that you already knew that though, congratulations for your success!
Despite my handle, I believe there is… Pain.
Stupidity, bad judgement, and piss poor planning should always hurt, just like sticking your finger in a light socket does. I know a fair few people who have repeatedly buried themselves in debt, but I don’t know ANY who line up to get zapped, do you?
John Deaux said:
I would rather let her stay there forever, for free, than let those self-absorbed, entitled, lazy incompetents stay in my house. I would have to worry about my wallet 24/7.
It’s too late to extract the ‘get what I can’ mentality out of them. The youngest is 15, so there isn’t much hope. But, hey, at least they’re not smart!
I just have to put them out soon, into an apartment. Problem is, I live 1000 miles away right now.
I thought I was doing the right thing by helping, but, of course, no good deed goes unpunished.
I’m no theologian either, but I’m pretty sure that’s not in the Bible. Instead, it’s some adage.
Obama would do well to abandon all the spending and send out copies of Proverbs from the Bible. It’d probably do more good than his stimulus plan.
Fineous–I’m pretty sure the scriptures indicate ‘if a man does not work, he does not eat’. But, many will tell me that the Bible contradicts itself time & time again.
It does not.
The context behind the above, and in accordance with the original text is that any man who can work, but doesn’t, cannot simply expect others to do for him.
Thanks, Hunter, same back to you. Being independent, thinking, self-sufficient, etc. is its own reward, isn’t it?
Sad thing is, I would feel terrible getting all this bailout money, being given a handout, and throwing my pride away like that. I can’t even say I wish I weren’t this way. I would rather be poor and making it on my own than anything else with no pride.
I used to think everyone felt that way, right about the time I found out the truth about Santa Claus.
Gator, I could not agree with you more.
.
I think Pbo (pronounced pee-bo)would not hesitate to tell you that these are your brothas and sistahs, and you must give freely of your abundance.
That or they will simply take from you and tell you you are a greedy capitalist.
I might not get as good an interest rate keeping money under my mattress, but I know the security guard who watches it will shoot to kill, and will not give it away to some moron who can’t count past 20 (or 21) unless they are nekkid, to buy smokes, drinks or fast food.
Panhandle elsewhere. Blessed Mother Oprah – loosen your pursestrings. The interest you make daily could feed an entire nation in a third world country. Take care of Americans who made you into an exhalted figurine, admired by almost all….like you exhort us to do so often.
Yeah, what ever happened to the idea of ’saving for a rainy day’?
When these miscreants discover that it’s raining, no problemo – just deflect the rain in someone else’s direction..
Isnt Oprah a billionaire and is in the 1% of the rich people that Obama is going to confiscate the wealth from?
So basically Oprah could pay the mortgages of every family facing foreclosure – all on her own – and leave the rest of us out of it.
I bet Big O would feel differently about little bhO if he decided she were not worth the billions she has, takes it from her and passes the wealth out to the lazy people who will not work.
Alas, he would never do that to her. Tobacco yes, Big O corporation – never.
Anyone that doesn’t know you can lose it all, especially if you take on debt you can’t afford, is stupid.
Stupid is supposed to hurt.
There is no cure for stupid – unless you count death. Reminds me of a joke along that line.
What are the dying words of a stupid person?
Hey, watch this!
It’s from Benjamin Franklin’s Poor Richard’s Almanac, I believe.
That’s a great illustration.
“…Apart from salvation, there is perhaps a way that the concept “God helps those who help themselves” is correct. As an example, if you asked me to help you move a piece of furniture, but then just watched me as I moved the furniture for you, I was not actually helping you. I would be doing the work for you. Many Christians fall into the trap of inactivity. Many Christians ask God for help, but then expect God to do everything Himself. They excuse this by pointing to the fact that God will provide according to His will and in His timing. However, this is not a reason for inactivity. As a specific example, if you are in need of a job, ask the Lord to help you find a job – but then be active in actually looking for a job. While it is in His power to do so, it is highly unlikely that God will cause employers to come looking for you!”
GotQuestions.org
Best line of the day.
But sadly, it’s not the case anymore. Not in today’s “compassionate” world. Today, we are expected to pay for the stupidity of others out of some greatly misunderstood notion of compassion.
Compassion is helping others get back on their feet. It’s not insulating them from the consequences of their actions.
Why is O!Prah still on the air? She has proven over and over how irrelevant she is.
Bad things can happen, okay? Get over it!
Thanks. Feel free to use it. I kind of like it myself.
I should add that there’s a corollary that those who are well to do in any particular community should look within to determine whether they’re being charitable at all or enough. Their generosity has to be voluntary and not forced as Obama requires, but it still requires them to consider the passage: “To whom much is given, much is required.”
All the same, I’d rather that our consciences be our guide rather than the federal government.
Well, one good thing about the global financial meltdown (if you can call it good), it’s an equal opportunity destroyer. I’m sure Oprah has as much money invested in worthless toxic assets in her elite hedge fund portfolio as anybody else.
Expect to hear rumors of foreclosures in the near future. Maybe she can do a whiney, sob story on herself then.
We used to call them banks.
Jeez. A Lincoln Navigator! Guess they went broke buying gas.
It just doesn’t seem right that this person is to be pitied. Her car alone cost 90% of my home. And maybe 20 to 25 times more than I have ever spent on a car in my life. She could have lived within her means and didn’t.
This story doesn’t make sense. I understand that they supposedly lost their house b/c of the ARM, but if they were making their payments on the car and the home before the $300/mo adjustment, why couldn’t they just move into an apt? I’m sure they could find an apt for less than their mortgage. Were they just spending credit? If that’s the case, the ARM is irrelevant. Did one of them lose their job? Once again, the ARM is irrelevant. An important detail is missing from this story.
I’ve never been able to figure out what exactly is Opraha’s talent…I don’t see it myself. She does more harm than good.
Just a damn minute.
Why are they in a shelter and not an apartment?
Are they saying that since rates went up they no longer have ANY sort of payment they can make? They can only afford run-down apartments?
And Navigators????
Details don’t matter any more.
Why didn’t Oprah lend them the money they needed? Now that would putting her money where her tears are….
Oh, that’s right. Liberals are people who are very generous with YOUR money….
I can’t wait to the 0ne taxes the snot out of Oprah. I would watch her show just to hear he wining about how her $$$ are disappearing. Though she would never admit that her personal pet project of getting 0bama elected had anything to do with it.
Kind of like Obama. She can talk really well about compassion.
In all fairness, Mother Oprah has contributed large amounts of money to her favorite charities. All well and good. I have a problem with her telling other people what to do with their money. She needs to MHOB!! I’m sick to death of people of celebrity thinking because they have money that they are our moral conscience. They are not and Mother O certainly isn’t. Of course, she is always sermonizing to the white folk..the blacks..not so much.
Dave Ramsey for Treasury Secretary!!
A Lincoln Navigator? I have a Ford Focus that I am still driving. I thought I had it all! I guess I do I am still driving mine!
What a bunch of BS. The term is so over-used so as to have lost all meaning. Like this issue needs “The Oprah” to “give it” a voice. It’s all I’ve been hearing from the media for months. Screw you, Oprah. You’re diminishing in popularity and importance, and that’s just the way it is. Now go eat a pie.
Why doesn’t Oprah the billionairess bail these a-holes out instead having me do it?
ARMs and interest-only mortgages are for stoopid people. If you’re not prepared to purchase a home, you deserve to lose it.
Shut your pie hole, Doprah!
Well, see, details actually do matter. Either I missed that part of the story or we seem to have jumped to some conclusions that aren’t specifically spelled out about this family’s situation. At the risk of being called a troll, (I’m not. I am however, probably the most right wing person most of you ever met. I just want to be fair here) it may very well be that we are correct, they bought things they could not afford, speculated on the house, etc. If that is so, the mom and dad need to quit whining, suck it up and do right by their children. Get a job, any job and a place to live on what they make. Lot’s of folks do it.
On the other hand. It may be that they did have the income to cover all of those things and some life event happened to change their world. Perhaps illness or injury? Perhaps the primary breadwinner (maybe the only breadwinner) lost a great job through no fault of their own?
Sure, mom and dad need to be working at something and putting a roof over the head of their children and food on the table. Staying in a shelter isn’t something I would want for my family. The open question seems to be of their ability to earn versus their willingness to earn.
I just feel like we should have more info before we excoriate this family.
Before you ask, no, I’ve never taken one thin dime of public assistance including unemployment, even when I have qualified and paid into the system for over 30 years. I’ve always been able to work and would rather live in a car than take money from the gub’mint.
Oprah is a Racist !!!!
I thought I felt a disturbance in The Force.
She’s making 95 million a year. Let her fund these people’s mortgages. Instead, she wants all of us to pay for it, while she has offices of lawyers looking for tax deductions 24/7.
Now, now! There will be no critizing “Mother Oprah!”
Why doesnt Orca get up off of some of her billions and help the people being foreclosed? How many billions does she need anyway?