tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post7382832105647753297..comments2023-11-03T06:02:02.128-07:00Comments on By Ken Levine: New York's latest outrageous rip off. For everyone who's ever been robbed in Times SquareBy Ken Levinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17305293821975250420noreply@blogger.comBlogger48125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-65218931660625774432016-01-09T13:32:42.773-08:002016-01-09T13:32:42.773-08:00It's a common trope among fact-free right-wing...It's a common trope among fact-free right-wingers that the crash of 2008 was caused by poor folks getting home mortgages. This is a lie. The crash was caused by the deregulation of the 1990s and by the corruption of the ratings agencies and by the fact that our legislators are so easily and cheaply bribed and by the fact that many banking executives are dishonest. Still, maybe 'anonymous' has a point. All the people who lost their homes and/or had their retirement savings wiped out---don't worry! 'anonymous' has identified the culprits for you--The Victims Themselves!mikenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-90002428868809584942016-01-01T14:51:09.200-08:002016-01-01T14:51:09.200-08:00All the places on 42nd Street are tourist traps. I...All the places on 42nd Street are tourist traps. I once popped into the Chevy's for a quick bite before a show. Quesadilla + soda = $30. Before the tip. The one uptown was at least $10 less. Never again.cadavranoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-19003770518925069592016-01-01T14:12:33.530-08:002016-01-01T14:12:33.530-08:00Geez. Am I the only person who actually likes the ...Geez. Am I the only person who actually likes the Olive Garden? Good food. F U, haters.Andrewnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-28230660347650958022016-01-01T08:38:44.893-08:002016-01-01T08:38:44.893-08:00I know I am a bit late chiming in on this one but ...I know I am a bit late chiming in on this one but was in NY the weekend before July 4 back in 1986. Went to the Windows on the World restaurant at the WTC where they charged $10.00 for drinks but the view was fabulous. There was a sign in the entrance where reservations were being taken for the evening of July 4 to watch the fireworks. They were charging $1000.00 per person - in 1986. Richard Ynoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-84994859166070628112015-12-31T23:27:30.994-08:002015-12-31T23:27:30.994-08:00In 1965, a friend and I went to Times Square for N...In 1965, a friend and I went to Times Square for New Year's Eve. We lived upstate. It was a fun experience. The crowd was in good spirits and at the stroke of 12 we kissed as many pretty girls as we could find. <br /><br />What happened next was almost as exciting. We had to grab the last train to Peekskill before it departed at 12:20. We made it.<br /><br />We were neither tourists nor farmers.Cap'n Bobhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11783977137812876489noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-918163319219213842015-12-31T21:17:48.074-08:002015-12-31T21:17:48.074-08:00One or two people blamed the government to encoura...One or two people blamed the government to encourage the banks to make bad loans. This is not really true. The so called encouragement started with this bill. It was enacted in 1977. designed to encourage commercial banks and savings associations to help meet the needs of borrowers in all segments of their communities, including low- and moderate-incomeneighborhoods.[1][2][3] Congress passed the Act in 1977 to reduce discriminatory credit practices against low-income neighborhoods, a practice known as redlining.[4][5]<br /><br />https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Community_Reinvestment_Act<br /><br />Forbes seems to blame the above act. http://www.forbes.com/2008/07/18/fannie-freddie-regulation-oped-cx_yb_0718brook.html<br /><br /><br /><br />sanfordhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06580867647162091670noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-78227688220628824452015-12-31T14:10:36.144-08:002015-12-31T14:10:36.144-08:00Liberal politicians forced banks to give mortgages...Liberal politicians forced banks to give mortgages to people who didn't deserve them and could not pay for them. That's what caused the crash.CarolMRhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06357698369178272616noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-58874455243930281052015-12-31T13:40:47.437-08:002015-12-31T13:40:47.437-08:00"The Big Short" Another example of a Ho..."The Big Short" Another example of a Hollywoodized movie of real events to go along with "Argo, "Lincoln", "Bridge of Spy's, etc. Why can't they stick to what really happened, it's usually more compelling than the B.S. they put up on the screen.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-87289518430975078182015-12-31T11:46:24.553-08:002015-12-31T11:46:24.553-08:00Yes, the movie depicts the agencies as blind fools...Yes, the movie depicts the agencies as blind fools. So if we are to believe the movie it is not fraud, just incompetence. But how much do you really want to believe a movie that decides the best way to get the point across is with Margot Robbie in a bubble bath? <br /><br />The book is more informative, where Michael Lewis actually tries to understand what happened, rather than this comic book portrayal that could have been written without any knowledge of the situation at all. I'll grant you it is more entertaining to have Margot Robbie in a bubble bath.<br /><br />Ask yourself, if there was so much fraud, then why did these guys need to be bailed out? Why did Goldman Sachs find themselves losing so much money and needing to be bailed out by Warren Buffett for $5 billion? What type of fraud is it where your plan is to face bankruptcy? Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-45956760908621129492015-12-31T07:38:54.152-08:002015-12-31T07:38:54.152-08:00Hmmm.....Do you think Ken's prices would go up...Hmmm.....Do you think Ken's prices would go up on NYE?<br /> To write I mean.normhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09794603165354675721noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-67046573590925500392015-12-31T07:11:03.554-08:002015-12-31T07:11:03.554-08:00I don't know why people are so upset with our ...I don't know why people are so upset with our Mr. Levine. Is it unreasonable to point out that charging anyone that much money to sit in a Ruby Tuesday's takes balls big enough to be covered in Waterford Crystal? I've been to Ruby Tuesday's (more than one, although they're quite alike), and pretty much for the reasons Ken mentioned. The only thing worth $800 is maybe the entire liquor supply.<br /><br />Ken, thank you for your blog. You write for us for free. I appreciate that.<br /><br />I wish everyone a safe, reasonably priced Happy New Year.Charles H. Bryannoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-46887397427624233602015-12-31T04:30:34.147-08:002015-12-31T04:30:34.147-08:00Welcome to New York, tourists! Your table is ready...Welcome to New York, tourists! Your table is ready!Gerryhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12361836428885324631noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-57484444864392048712015-12-31T03:43:01.088-08:002015-12-31T03:43:01.088-08:00Something else besides money grubbers that annoys ...Something else besides money grubbers that annoys the hell out of me is people named Anonymous. What kind of parent names their kid that?Barry Traylorhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14134880916215990198noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-69781879366567544322015-12-31T01:22:45.935-08:002015-12-31T01:22:45.935-08:00So let me get this straight.
Ken, who works in Hol...So let me get this straight.<br />Ken, who works in Hollywood, is upset about New York ripping people off.<br />Hollywood. The home of creative accounting. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-54633728074009833392015-12-30T23:18:58.451-08:002015-12-30T23:18:58.451-08:00Native New Yorker speaking.
The moral of the story...Native New Yorker speaking.<br />The moral of the story is: Don't go to Times Square on New Year's Eve! Never. Ever.<br />And if I want to watch a ball drop, I can go to the men's room at The Hebrew Home in Riverdale.Roger R.https://www.blogger.com/profile/02606489186816879428noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-13929430755331226692015-12-30T22:30:49.995-08:002015-12-30T22:30:49.995-08:00What are the chances that my wife turns on the Jew...What are the chances that my wife turns on the Jewish channel to watch Soupy Sales out of curiosity, and then next comes some show we never heard of called Sunda and James, and they are interviewing Ken Levine about his 60s book? Well, I guess the chances are better than I would have thought.pumpkinheadnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-21021814360648462442015-12-30T22:05:17.435-08:002015-12-30T22:05:17.435-08:00To name just one example of fraud (a major one): t...<br />To name just one example of fraud (a major one): the rating agencies gave triple A ratings to the Mortgage Backed Securities (MDS) when they should have been rated as JUNK. This allowed pension funds and other funds that needed a high degree of safety to invest in them; their by-laws wouldn't have allowed it if they had been rated as junk (which is what they really were). The high ratings also encouraged the flow of global investor funds, affecting the whole world when the inevitable crash came. It was one of the most egregious and blatant frauds ever committed by the financial industry.<br />Diane D.noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-84905658469477417862015-12-30T21:52:28.397-08:002015-12-30T21:52:28.397-08:00Excellent point. A scary movie that's true. Ma...Excellent point. A scary movie that's true. Makes new years eve ripoffs look like chump change.<br />Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-40939230325222257762015-12-30T21:47:53.921-08:002015-12-30T21:47:53.921-08:00Ken should watch Bye Bye Birdie:
" Kids, th...Ken should watch Bye Bye Birdie:<br /><br /> " Kids, they are just impossible to control<br />Kids, with their awful clothes and their rock an' roll<br />Why can't they dance like we did<br />What's wrong with Sammy Caine?<br />What's the matter with kids today?"<br /><br />And, hey, get off my grass!!<br /><br />Never in history any lack of those telling us things are going to hell in a handbasketAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-50538012970215556722015-12-30T21:14:49.398-08:002015-12-30T21:14:49.398-08:00Um...welcome back, Hamid...I think. Have you gone ...Um...welcome back, Hamid...I think. Have you gone off all your medication? Because I really don't think that was a good idea.Dananoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-16850149719038057622015-12-30T19:02:12.304-08:002015-12-30T19:02:12.304-08:00Wait, it gets worse. Did you know that some hotel...Wait, it gets worse. Did you know that some <i>hotels</i> actually <i>raise their rates</i> during times of peak demand? Not only that, some <i>stores</i> will <i>raise the retail price of a product</i> if lots of people want it. And I hear that some <i>sports teams</i> will actually charge <i>more for tickets</i> when the team is playing a first-place rival, rather than a cellar-dweller that nobody wants to see!<br /><br />What an outrage! Bill Jonesnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-29893812242571952542015-12-30T18:17:52.272-08:002015-12-30T18:17:52.272-08:00I like what DBA said.
I remember going to Denny...I like what DBA said. <br /><br />I remember going to Denny's on the Las Vegas strip years ago, and instead of the nationally priced $3.99 for a Grand Slam, it was $6.99. The manager explained that everyone on the strip has money to blow, so the franchise owner is allowed to adjust his price. And the place was packed.<br /><br />Something is worth what someone is willing to pay for it. God Bless America.Honeycutt Powellnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-49969712164165104632015-12-30T18:10:52.071-08:002015-12-30T18:10:52.071-08:00It should be noted that the $182 billion of invest...It should be noted that the $182 billion of investments and loan commitments by the Fed and Treasury to AIG resulted in a nearly $23 billion gain for the government when it was all over.<br /><br />-30-Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-84139399215034474582015-12-30T17:16:07.684-08:002015-12-30T17:16:07.684-08:00What fraud?
Banks made lots of loans to poor peo...What fraud? <br />Banks made lots of loans to poor people to buy houses, because people all over were pushing them to do so.<br />Then the poor people couldn't repay the loans, and now the houses are not really enough collateral.<br />Meanwhile, the banks resold the debt, partly to the federal government, because they wanted to encourage the banks to make these loans. This made the banks who held this debt 'too big to fail'.<br /><br />Then the banks and other institutions like Goldman Sachs and AIG got the federal government to bailout their losses.<br />Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-91716564944420547022015-12-30T16:54:29.752-08:002015-12-30T16:54:29.752-08:00"The French Revolution was started for less.&..."The French Revolution was started for less." It would seem. But after seeing the spectacular movie, THE BIG SHORT today, NOTHING the corporate world and banking industry (in cahoots with the federal government) do will ever surprise me again. One of the men in that movie said, "this is the age of fraud." Fraud upon fraud upon fraud resulted in that debacle in 2008, in which I lost half of my meagre 401K investments, and banks have recently started selling an instrument that is identical to the one that was a major cause of the near collapse of the U.S. (and world) economy in that fateful year (according to the movie). <br /><br />The kind of price gouging that is going to happen in Times Square tomorrow isn't illegal, but it's wrong, and no one cares. No publication or news program has even mentioned it. Everyone should be outraged. Diane D.noreply@blogger.com