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Jay Leno Rebuttal

By
Home Inspector with HouseMaster of NH and ME

I just finished a posting by Doug Beaver http://activerain.com/blogsview/127866/Jay-Leno-on-Whiners which is a Jay Leno editorial. Thank you Doug. It gives me the opportunity to push back on Jay and others like him.

Jay quotes a Newsweek poll that states 2/3rds of the American people are unhappy with the direction of the country and the president's performance and basically call us to task for having that position. Well Jay, that's our right as Americans to voice our concern and displeasure with the country's affairs. It's part of what makes this a great country.

Yes, it's true that overall 95 % of Americans have jobs, however, the wages associated with the available jobs are lower and lower all the time and on top of that the cost of medical and other benefits, IF they are even offered by a company, are on the increase all the time. The 24-hour electric service and water availability that Jay refers to isn't free either. Yes we can walk into a grocery store "and see more food in moments than Darfur has seen in the last year" but Jay, how much of your multi millions are being sent to Darfur to help those unfortunate people? Let's forget about Darfur, how much money are you giving back to those US citizens who are homeless and hungry? There IS a lot of food in a supermarket; however, the average blue-collar worker travels the aisles with a calculator making sure that they do not go over budget so that they can pay that electric bill and water assessment. Hey Jay, what's your food budget for a week? Should we be thankful for the hundreds of clean, safe hotels available that provide temporary shelter to us when traveling state to state? Sure! If you are lucky enough to afford travel and for every clean, safe hotel ($$$$$$) there are hundreds more that are not clean and not safe but it's all some can afford. Are we unhappy that firefighters and rescue people are by our side "in a moments notice" to help us in car accidents and fires. Don't be so condescending Jay. Of course we are grateful, however, we work our tails off to pay taxes to pay for the service. YES! We pay them to be there, it's not a gimme and by the way, the speed at which these rescue personnel arrive is often closely related to the affluence of the community in which these accidents occur. I could go on for a long time answering the points of Jay Leno but his comments are not new and I don't want to belabor my point. These are the comments of the wealthy of this nation who don't have to worry about the cost of gas, a food budget, a mortgage, medical care for their families, retirement... We are not ungrateful for what we have; however, we do have the right to be heard and the right to point out the need for a new direction.

Just my 2 cents

 

Comments (9)

Brian Schulman
Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage, Lancaster PA - Lancaster, PA
Lancaster County PA RealEstate Expert 717-951-5552
You seem to have a lot of animosity for Jay Leno's wealth.  Why?  He earned it honestly.  It's not his obligation to give it to Darfur - and anyway, how do you know he hasn't given money to them?
Jun 20, 2007 05:53 AM
Jason Sardi
Auto & Home & Life Insurance throughout North Carolina - Charlotte, NC
Your Agent for Life
Don't watch Jay myself.  Sounds like he isn't on the liberal side of that Hollywood often gets accused of though.
Jun 20, 2007 05:57 AM
Dennis Williams
HouseMaster of NH and ME - Rochester, NH
Brian, I don't have a problem with his wealth at all. You are misreading my message. My issue is the fact that he is basically scolding us for exercising our first ammendment right to free speech and being involved in the political process of our nation. Additonally I did not stste that Jay has not given to Darfur. I just posed the question. 
Jun 20, 2007 06:00 AM
Dennis Williams
HouseMaster of NH and ME - Rochester, NH

Jason,

I just can't figure out why he assumes that by expressing our feelings we are somehow ungrateful for what we have. Go figure!

 

Jun 20, 2007 06:02 AM
Monika McGillicuddy
Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Verani Realty - Hampstead, NH
Southern NH & the Seacoast Area
Wow..Dennis! I must have missed that show!
Jun 20, 2007 06:51 AM
Dennis Williams
HouseMaster of NH and ME - Rochester, NH

I must have gotten up on the wrong side of the bed today Moni. I AM grateful for being an American and thank my lucky stars that I am as fortunate as I am, but there are far too many people, increasingly so, that don't have it so good.

Jun 20, 2007 06:58 AM
Anonymous
al wanamaker

Mr. Williams, by your comments, you obviously have a great concern for the less fortunate and poor of this country. As your chosen field of income is real estate, and as most people have come to realize, that owning a home or income property is a solid basis of wealth--I'm wondering what steps you have personally taken to get the poor and other less fortunate citizens of our country into home ownership?

 Have you done anything more than point them toward the numerous Federal and some state programs which fast track them to ownership? Have you eliminated your commissions on any opportunities that a poor person might be able to qualify for?  Have you sponsored or personally built any housing for low income or poor people?

 Have you contacted your legislators about free housing for the poor?  What about sponsoring a law that limits commissions on real estate transactions, because why should a poor person pay anyone for the privilege of owning a home? 

 Furthermore, why should an agent or broker participate in the appreciation of a home's value when he didn't do anything to increase it's value?? I bought my condo in CA in '96 for 150$K and sold it 6 years later for 675$k.  My commissions were 9000.00 when I bought it and over 40$K when I sold it. My brokers did nothing in the interim to earn that increase.  Seems like the government should be looking into  this obvious usurious problem.

 Just a few thoughts about your take on Jay's piece. Incidentally, I'm proud to be an American and I wouldn't trade for anything or anywhere.

Jun 21, 2007 10:39 AM
#7
Anonymous
A3K

Dennis,

Jay Leno didn't write that.

Perhaps you should write him a letter of apology and publish it on your little blog...

Jun 22, 2007 10:48 AM
#8
Dennis Williams
HouseMaster of NH and ME - Rochester, NH

A3k: Thank you for your comment. I should know by now that the web has way too much misinformation and that I should have checked out Snopes.com first. My apologies to you, Jay Lenno and anyone else that took offense to my comments about Jay.

Al- I am tied to real estate however I am not an agent and do not get commissions that I can waive. I do however reduce my fees for many families that are less fortunate and are in need of a helping hand and have given services free of charge countless times. In addition I put in alot of time with  several volunteer positions from working with the homeless to youth group organizations. Hope that clarifies my position a little better for you.

Jun 25, 2007 04:44 AM