Divenstar is right. The guys on Wallstreet saw this coming they just were riding the wave and making huge money and keeping their mouth shut .

There is no other explanation.You would have to have been an idiot to not see this coming 3 years ago if not more.I saw it and i am not the sharpest pencil in the pocket.

And when it is all said and done i will bet that 90% of the bad mortagages will be on speculated bought homes .

The thing is everybody saw it coming, and nothing got done about it.

The 2 or 3 attempts by congress to address the issue starting in 2003 died in the senate, either by filibuster lead by the Senate Dems, or they never got out of commitee. Last time I checked Bush can't control what the Senate Democrats do.

There is plenty a blame to go around. The President for not being more vocal about the problem. Congress, for doing absolutely nothing(the one thing congress excels at). The SEC for not making sure the rating agencies were actually doing there job. Fannie and Freddie for relaxing loan standards and buying these B.S. morgages thereby allowing banks to loan even more money ignorantly. Wallstreet for acting like they always do, in a fit of excessively greedy Harvard and Yale MBA fueled stupidity. The list goes on and on.

To lay this crisis soley at the feet of the President and Wallstreet is overly simplistic at best. Congress should shoulder alot of the blame for totally failing in its legislative responsibilities. Social experiments and finacial markets don't mix well.

Let's all hope that no one or entity becomes a fatality or dying breed in these incredibly stressfull economic times, especially Mercury. Even though their practices and attitudes have been a pain in the gut for some boaters who use their products, they are still the cornerstone of this industry and sport and I can't even imagine what the high performance boating community would look like without them! This will be a wake up call for them too! No one is immune from bad business practices even the 800lb. Black Gorilla!
They will suffer during these times from their own form of arogance, GREED and feelings of immunity!

The one important lesson to be learned here is that is was GREED, ARROGANCE, STUPIDIY, SHORT SIDEDNESS and lack of COMPASSION or CARING that really that has really brought the US way of life to a dangerous brink! on todays economic and social terms.

Lets not spend to much energy placing to much blame and weeping over the past. The time is now for this industry and the rest of this nation to get off its big (somewhat spoiled and lazy ) butt and get on with the business at hand.
Replace those who think only about themselves and whats in it for them! Redevelop the successful long term business models that made this nations economy the great machine it still can be, learn from our mistakes and the past. Try to not repeat bad history and be committed to the idea that as a group we are strong and risilient and that no one will benefit from feeling sorry for ourselves or crying about whose responsible! We let it happen, we are a Democracy and a lot of Americans sat by fat and complacent and also thought mostly about themselves. We are still the captain of this ship and we can steer it off the rocks, patch the hull and get underway again, less a few rats that need to be thrown off the ship and made to swim in the sewer society they tried to create.
Think Great Thoughts, Do great things, Use your intelligence, Work Hard, never sacrifice honesty or your consideration or compassion for just another buck and above all be a good example to your friends, family and Children! and lets get to work and not fail because of the stupid actions of a few! The future is the prize and we can overcome todays old history!

Best Regards,
Ray @ Raylar

Think Great Thoughts, Do great things, Use your intelligence, Work Hard, never sacrifice honesty or your consideration or compassion for just another buck and above all be a good example to your friends, family and Children! and lets get to work and not fail because of the stupid actions of a few! The future is the prize and we can overcome todays old history!

Best Regards,
Ray @ Raylar[/QUOTE]

WELL SAID RAY !!!!

Fountain, MN is the wrong direction for me!! I have worked the Minneapolis Sports Show 3 or 4 times for the Factory Larson booth. It gets too cold up there for me! We sell Lund, Larson, Crestliner boats and pontoons, Baja, and special order Fountains.

Sold a used Baja today! I can sell yes, but it is the loyal customers that buy! God bless them!

Maybe the custom boat builders will gain more respect with all the big cookie cutter companies having hard times. We ain't going nowhere but up!

So does Obama have a valid birth certificate from the U.S. or not? Neither he nor his counsel responded to discovery due yesterday.

Raylar's post is the best I have read lately. Thank you.Ray,for telling it like it is. Robert Nelems,Nelems Marine

A vote for O'bama is a vote for TND.

Agreed! Nicely stated Ray!