Thanks, Obama!

This morning I attended a meeting...class?...about the current condition of our local Denver market.  If you're from here you know we've got a 'problem', I guess depending on your perspective, of having very low inventory.

The class itself was well structured, well presented, and for the most part I agreed with the stats, opinions, and conclusions.

Here's the issue, and admittedly it could be just *my* issue.  During the class, the speaker asked for input as to our thoughts on some of the reasons that sellers seem to be deciding to stay in their homes longer.  There were the regular opinions given, all of which are real factors:

• "fear of finding a place to move to if they sold their current home first"
• "people don't want to give up the phenomenal rate they have"
• "prices have gotten rediculous - it's cheaper to remodel or even gut your existing home"

Then the presenter turned to someone in the front row. Someone I'd not seen or noticed before. The audience audibly groaned...

I'll admit I don't remember the exact wording so I'll paraphrase. "It's Obamas fault! It's his taxes and the fact that we have to help poor people."

It took a few moments for the presenter to get the class back on track, but I had a hard time getting anything else out of the class.

I'm not trying to start an arguement about politics, and I'm not going to start my own rant about the actual role and job of the President of the United States vs. Congress, but good god people...

I did, as I usually do, talk about a few points of the statistics. I mentioned the fact that the wage gap seem even more present here in Denver than many other places, and that unless people wanted to start stocking their own grocery shelves and building their own homes, we need to start considering that we can't only build houses for rich people.

Please. People. Vote. - and not just a party line ticket. Pull your head out at least a few days before, do some quick research and vote.

I'm not saying that people with that opinion shouldn't vote. The fact is that the room was FULL of audible groans, but the views shouted out was what everyone took away from that class.

Funny thing? I consider myself a fiscally conservative, socially liberal person. I'm starting to truly question the "fiscally conservative" part lately.  It just feels like "conservative" now loosely translates to "corrupt political and corporate greed."