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Why Bell's Vote on Bankruptcy 'Reform' Matters

by: energyecon

Thu Feb 23, 2006 at 00:35 PM CST

Because, ultimately the Democratic party is supposed to be looking out for all the people in our country - and this is just bad policy that kicks people when they are down.

A recent report cited below the fold shows that 4 out of 5 people going through the first steps of the now more difficult process were there because of job loss, medical expenses or the death of a spouse.

As middle class and working class Americans get squeezed ever harder by 'Bushonomics,' more and more will find themselves in more desperate straits due to this finance lobby sponsored 'reform.'

Lawyer Group Criticizes New Bankruptcy Law

By MARCY GORDON, AP Business Writer
Wed Feb 22, 8:16 PM ET

WASHINGTON - A new law making it harder to erase debts in bankruptcy has failed to stop abuses and has stymied people who have legitimate reasons to file, a group representing bankruptcy attorneys contended Wednesday.

A report released by the National Association of Consumer Bankruptcy Attorneys was based on an analysis of 61,335 people who have gone to credit counseling agencies, the required first step before filing bankruptcy under the law that took effect on Oct. 17.

Of the 61,335, 97 percent were unable to repay any debts and 79 percent had gotten into financial trouble because of job loss, huge medical expenses or the death of a spouse, the report said.

"Contrary to the claims of proponents of bankruptcy-law changes that they would zero in on the alleged legions of 'deadbeats,'" the new law is doing no measurable good, said Brad Botes, executive director of the bankruptcy lawyers' group. "Instead, (it has) put new hurdles in the path of people who are already flat on their back due to financial crises over which they have no control."

http://tinyurl.com/p33hg

Tags: Chris Bell, 2006: Texas Elections, National, (All Tags)

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Why Bell's Vote on Bankruptcy 'Reform' Matters | 12 comments

Post formatting tips - links etc (0.00 / 0)

As a quasi-literate and semi-trainable individual, I'd like to figure out how to upgrade my posts, such as the formatting more moxy posters provide long quotes. Where might I find some info on that so I can RTFM?

Thanks in advance

by: energyecon @ Thu Feb 23, 2006 at 18:43:22 PM UTC

by: you @ soon

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Here's how to put stuff in neat yellow boxes (0.00 / 0)

use

type some text here As long as it needs to be Then end it with

by: Texas_Kat @ Thu Feb 23, 2006 at 21:26:27 PM UTC

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by: you @ soon

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Trying again (0.00 / 0)

I tried "no formatting" but it still did it.

I'll put a "-" in the code so it wouldn't auto-format, so take those out

<-blockquote->type some text here

As long as it needs to be

Then end it with

In the <-blockquote-> code, take all the dashes "-" out.

by: Texas_Kat @ Thu Feb 23, 2006 at 21:29:08 PM UTC

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by: you @ soon

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One more time (0.00 / 0)

I tried "no formatting" but it still did it.
I'll put a "-" in the code so it wouldn't auto-format, so take those out

<-blockquote->type some text here

As long as it needs to be

Then end it with

In the code, take all the dashes "-" out.

by: Texas_Kat @ Thu Feb 23, 2006 at 21:30:03 PM UTC

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by: you @ soon

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This is my final try (0.00 / 0)

(the software keeps removing characters. I tried "no formatting" but it still did it. I'll put a "-" in the code so it wouldn't auto-format, so take those out <-blockquote->type some text here As long as it needs to be Then end it with In the <-/-blockquote-> code, take all the dashes "-" out.

by: Texas_Kat @ Thu Feb 23, 2006 at 21:31:37 PM UTC

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by: you @ soon

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Thanks! (0.00 / 0)

Lemme see if I got it... (if you smell something burning - dude, that's my skull!)

Its really just some totally basic HTML tag info but never spent any time in that space... but I can @SS with MS Excel, macros, etc

by: energyecon @ Thu Feb 23, 2006 at 21:35:32 PM UTC

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by: you @ soon

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LOL! W00T! (0.00 / 0)

and that should say

but I can KICK @SS with MS Excel and all like that!

by: energyecon @ Thu Feb 23, 2006 at 21:36:49 PM UTC

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by: you @ soon

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VERY GOOD! (0.00 / 0)

by: Texas_Kat @ Thu Feb 23, 2006 at 22:15:49 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

The bill Bell voted for did not become law (0.00 / 0)

He served in the 108th. The Bankruptcy bill that passed and was signed into law was a bill offered in the 109th.

Bell did not cast one of the votes which made the bankruptscy bill law.

just an important thing to point out as you have this discussion...

by: texasdem1 @ Mon Feb 27, 2006 at 03:39:43 AM UTC

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Yes, thanks to a few Republicans who "choked" (0.00 / 0)

that version didn't make it.

No thanks to Chris Bell.

by: Texas_Kat @ Mon Feb 27, 2006 at 03:43:19 AM UTC

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Randomly posting? (0.00 / 0)

Are you just randomly posting notes that have nothing to do with the subject of the thread? or was it an 'oversight'?

by: Texas_Kat @ Mon Feb 27, 2006 at 03:48:34 AM UTC

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by: you @ soon

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Sticking it to the deadbeats (5.00 / 1)

This really matters for several reasons.

(1) Just at a time when middle-class careers and jobs have become unusually unstable and when many people find themselves out of work for some time and then accepting jobs at lower wages or accepting part-time work, Bell voted to stick it to the supposed 'deadbeats'.

(2)Just when our health insurance safety net was at its very worst and when at least 25% of Texans were uninsured (the highest uninsured rate in the nation by the way), Bell voted to stick it to the supposed 'deadbeats'.

(3)Just when college students often inexperienced at the ways of finance were being peppered with credit card offers and then finding they had to pay them off while facing a lacklustre job market, Bell voted to stick it to the supposed 'deadbeats'.

(4)Just when unscrupulous credit card companies were soliciting customers who had no business whatsoever having a credit card due to low income and when they were then turning around and trapping said customers with enormous late fees and extortionate rises in interest rates, Bell voted to stick it to the supposed 'deadbeats'.

by: SBerta @ Fri Feb 24, 2006 at 00:51:43 AM UTC

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Why Bell's Vote on Bankruptcy 'Reform' Matters | 12 comments

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