Public Assistance game.

[rc26]

I've never seen this game before.

<a href="http://s443.photobucket.com/albums/qq16 ... ent=PA.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i443.photobucket.com/albums/qq160/vfrf2/PA.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>

"Vintage Public Assistance Board Game 1980

You are currently looking at a Public Assistance board game.

The game was produced by Hammerhead Enterprises in 1980. The game pieces are in excellent condition (see pics). The game comes with a game board, directions, 3 dice, 8 game pieces, working person´s burden cards, welfare benefit cards and sheet of cardboard pieces.

Although the contents are like new, the box is in good condition with reasonable wear. This is a great item for vintage game fans and collectors and would be an especially fascinating addition to your game room given the current economic and financial issues swirling in Washington D.C.. (actual pictures).:

http://washingtondc.craigslist.org/mld/ ... 54475.html

[Pattio]

Remember, it's only class warfare when it's waged uphill.

[piccini9]

Remember, it's only class warfare when it's waged uphill.

Yeah, otherwise it's "Eminent Domain" or "Manifest Destiny" or "Chili Cheeseburger" or something.

[MoraleHazard]

Here's an article written by the game's creator:

http://www.americanthinker.com/2009/10/ ... _game.html

and it's now rebranded as "Obozo's America"

[Toonce(s)]

Whatever happened to plain old Monopoly?

[goose]

Whatever happened to plain old Monopoly?

It worked. Now 1% control over 87% of the resources of the United States of America. Consequently, anti-trust is dead, consolidation of major industries is on the rise, the SEC is toothless, the EPA is a joke, retirement ages will go up and any semblance of Social Security should be banished from your mind.

Drink up!

[piccini9]

Whatever happened to plain old Monopoly?

It worked. Now 1% control over 87% of the resources of the United States of America. Consequently, anti-trust is dead, consolidation of major industries is on the rise, the SEC is toothless, the EPA is a joke, retirement ages will go up and any semblance of Social Security should be banished from your mind.

Drink up!

Thank you, that's what I wanted to say, but you said it better.

[xtian]

and also

[goose]

and you should always fight for every scrap of the pie you think you deserve!

http://blog.sfgate.com/cityinsider/2011 ... Descending

[MoraleHazard]

Whatever happened to plain old Monopoly?

It worked. Now 1% control over 87% of the resources of the United States of America. Consequently, anti-trust is dead, consolidation of major industries is on the rise, the SEC is toothless, the EPA is a joke, retirement ages will go up and any semblance of Social Security should be banished from your mind.

Drink up!

Werem't you paying attention to the game? It is the fault of the poors.

Nobody ever abused welfare before.

[sun rat]

Whatever happened to plain old Monopoly?

It worked. Now 1% control over 87% of the resources of the United States of America. Consequently, anti-trust is dead, consolidation of major industries is on the rise, the SEC is toothless, the EPA is a joke, retirement ages will go up and any semblance of Social Security should be banished from your mind.

Drink up!

Werem't you paying attention to the game? It is the fault of the poors.

Nobody ever abused welfare before.

that's for damned sure. http://thinkprogress.org/economy/2011/0 ... o-signing/

[rc26]

Whatever happened to plain old Monopoly?

It worked. Now 1% control over 87% of the resources of the United States of America. Consequently, anti-trust is dead, consolidation of major industries is on the rise, the SEC is toothless, the EPA is a joke, retirement ages will go up and any semblance of Social Security should be banished from your mind.

Drink up!

Werem't you paying attention to the game? It is the fault of the poors.

Nobody ever abused welfare before.

that's for damned sure. http://thinkprogress.org/economy/2011/0 ... o-signing/

Goes hand in hand with the robo signings that the borrowers made as well. ARM's increased....opps, I can't afford it. Oh shit, gotta say fuck it and default. I'd never take an ARM...pays to be an educated consumer.

[Pattio]

The important thing with this, as with any game, is not to hate the player.

[rc26]

The important thing with this, as with any game, is not to hate the player.

So fucking true.

[motorpsycho67]

Here's an article written by the game's creator:

http://www.americanthinker.com/2009/10/ ... _game.html

and it's now rebranded as "Obozo's America"

What a POS excuse for a human. Bet he voted for Shrub both times

[stiles]

Goes hand in hand with the robo signings that the borrowers made as well. ARM's increased....opps, I can't afford it. Oh shit, gotta say fuck it and default. I'd never take an ARM...pays to be an educated consumer.

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/12/01/opini ... .html?_r=3

Seriously. Read it.

By the way, my friends in Philly bought a property and bar back in the heyday of these shenanigans. They couldn't get a traditional fixed rate commercial mortgage, in spite of having good credit, a solid business model and a substantial down payment. They had to get an ARM, because the banks weren't writing traditional loans because the fees for ARMs were five to ten times higher, as noted in the referenced article.

When I sold my commercial building back in '04 I can't tell you how much grief several sets of prospective buyers went through trying to get a commercial mortgage that wasn't some type of self-destructing trick pony.

Also, it's easy to blame borrowers for making bad choices in hindsight, but when the market does nothing but skyrocket for 6 years straight how long do you put off buying a place before you're priced out of the market entirely, particularly when you have a kid that is approaching school age and you want to live somewhere with a good school system?

Ditto for criticizing borrowers for signing bad contracts - have you ever bought a house? I have. The purchase contract is dozens of pages of fine print and legalese. I am a reasonably intelligent guy with several degrees and a lawyer father. I have written and dissected a bunch of contracts and am comfortable with legal terms and when I sold the place I still missed the buyer's bank trying to charge me $8,000++ in improper fees at signing. My lawyer caught it, though - which is why I hired him for ten thousand dollars, rather than using the realtor who cost me thousands and didn't give a shit about being the least bit competent.

So seriously, if I don't stand a chance against these bank charlatans without professional help, what makes you think Joe or Juan Average is anything but a bucket of bait fish in a pool of hungry sharks?

[rc26]

Goes hand in hand with the robo signings that the borrowers made as well. ARM's increased....opps, I can't afford it. Oh shit, gotta say fuck it and default. I'd never take an ARM...pays to be an educated consumer.

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/12/01/opini ... .html?_r=3

Seriously. Read it.

By the way, my friends in Philly bought a property and bar back in the heyday of these shenanigans. They couldn't get a traditional fixed rate commercial mortgage, in spite of having good credit, a solid business model and a substantial down payment. They had to get an ARM, because the banks weren't writing traditional loans because the fees for ARMs were five to ten times higher, as noted in the referenced article.

When I sold my commercial building back in '04 I can't tell you how much grief several sets of prospective buyers went through trying to get a commercial mortgage that wasn't some type of self-destructing trick pony.

Also, it's easy to blame borrowers for making bad choices in hindsight, but when the market does nothing but skyrocket for 6 years straight how long do you put off buying a place before you're priced out of the market entirely, particularly when you have a kid that is approaching school age and you want to live somewhere with a good school system?

Ditto for criticizing borrowers for signing bad contracts - have you ever bought a house? I have. The purchase contract is dozens of pages of fine print and legalese. I am a reasonably intelligent guy with several degrees and a lawyer father. I have written and dissected a bunch of contracts and am comfortable with legal terms and when I sold the place I still missed the buyer's bank trying to charge me $8,000++ in improper fees at signing. My lawyer caught it, though - which is why I hired him for ten thousand dollars, rather than using the realtor who cost me thousands and didn't give a shit about being the least bit competent.

So seriously, if I don't stand a chance against these bank charlatans without professional help, what makes you think Joe or Juan Average is anything but a bucket of bait fish in a pool of hungry sharks?

Yes, I have purchased a home (also built and sold a few spec homes many years ago)...know the game. The last time I did a settlement I think I signed my name on at least 15-20 documents. Maybe more? My mother was a Realtor, several friends are Realtors, dad was a builder. I'm familiar with the process. Mom always tried to steer her clients into going with conventional financing vs. going with a ARM. Some didn't listen and wound up losing when the loan ballooned, even before the housing market went down the shitter this go around.

When it comes down to brass tax, some (not all) borrowers got themselves into the mess they are in and I don't have one ounce of sympathy for them.

From the article that Rev posted above:
"Theckston says that borrowers made harebrained decisions and exaggerated their resources but that bankers were far more culpable — and that all this was driven by pressure from the top.

“You’ve got somebody making $20,000 buying a $500,000 home, thinking that she’d flip it,” he said. “That was crazy, but the banks put programs together to make those kinds of loans.”

A couple of weeks ago I was helping a friend move out of his home due to it being foreclosed on.
He purchased the home 4 years ago at $310,000...when he bought it he shelled out a $100,000 cash down payment. He lost his job which paid him a 6 figure income. November 2010 he stopped paying the mortgage because he didn't have a job. He wasn't upside down and may have recouped some, if not all of his equity. Made no sense that he didn't even try to put it on the market, no short sale...nothing.

[MoraleHazard]

I read the article. I agree with the author and do fault the banks for their greed. But it was a bubble and in a bubble there is a lot of blame to go around:

The government: They financially backed weak loans, incentivizing banks to do what they did. From the article:

“The bigwigs of the corporations knew this, but they figured we’re going to make billions out of it, so who cares? The government is going to bail us out. And the problem loans will be out of here, maybe even overseas.”

They government also carroted and sticked banks into making poor loans to minorities that couldn't afford them. The carrot was guaranteeing the loan. (Not that banks didn't help through greed)

Greedy or stupid borrowers: Sorry, take the time to learn and read the fine print. It sucks, it's not fun, but do it. Laziness is no excuse in my book. Also, if you thought you could flip a $500k house on $20k a year and get foreclosed on, it's not the bank's fault. I know I annoyed the lawyers at the closing of my house by taking the time to read everything (after having read it in advance).

Greedy mortgage brokers and realtors: Not only the banks, but the real estate industry encouraged the wholesale flipping

Greedy Wall Street types: When you securitize a bunch of mortgages and sell a tranche with 1 prime and 99 sub-prime loans as a "prime" tranche that's stupid.

The rating agencies: worst of all in my book, because they don't get paid commissions like the banks and real estate business. They have no real incentive to call a 1 prime / 99 sub-prime mortgage-backed security an "A" rated security. They fueled the fire by over-rating so much crap.

My lawyer caught it, though - which is why I hired him for ten thousand dollars,

You paid $10k for your closing lawyer? A first-glance that seems like some serious over-charging. Was this for a commercial property?

[piccini9]

Usury. It used to be a word. Look it up.