MORTGAGE MAYHEM, MERS, HOT TUBS AND THE FBI -- PART 1 of 3

By Marilyn M. Barnewall October 31, 2010 NewsWithViews.com

Part 1 of 3

Disgusting disclosures that our financial services industry and our foreclosure courts are corrupt and have perpetrated fraud on the American populace are everywhere.

In an October 17th article (here), David Dayen responds to Housing and Urban Development Secretary Shaun Donovan who, supporting the Obama Administration, opposes putting a national moratorium on foreclosures until fraud can be weeded out of the process.

Dayen says “it’s really interesting that he” (Secretary Donovan) “picks out the Cleveland area as his example of how we can’t stop what’s working in the housing market.” Dayen then provides examples of how the housing market doesn’t work in Cleveland:

“Michael and Pamella Negrea have never been late on a mortgage payment in the 15 years they’ve owned their home in Eastlake. But they’ve been foreclosed on three times.

“Martin and Kirsten Davis, meanwhile, lost their home in Cleveland to foreclosure two years ago. The reason: A mess that started when they accidentally paid 14 cents too little on their monthly payment.

“And Michael Rendes of Berea had his mortgage sold last year to Bank of America. The bank foreclosed on him in November, after insisting for months that it didn’t hold his loan and wouldn’t accept his payments.

“Tales like these portray the ugly side of the world of mortgage finance, a world embroiled in controversy amid claims of fraudulently signed foreclosure documents.”

In the examples given above, the lender charged Mr. and Mrs. Davis a $2,200 fee when the monthly payment was 14 cents short. As for the Bereas, no one notified them that their loan had been sold to Bank of America. They kept sending their payments to the original lender who never forwarded them.

Finally, a senior federal bank regulator directed major offenders (the too big to jail bunch strikes again) – J.P. Morgan Chase, Bank of America, HSBC, PNC Bank, U.S. Bank and Wells Fargo – to review their foreclosure procedures.

The word “lien” is used often in this article. To be clear: A lien is a legal claim on someone’s property and brings with it the legal right to keep or sell that property. It is security for a debt. Regarding mortgage loans, a lien is placed against the Deed of Trust to the property being purchased until the borrower pays the loan in full. The lien serves as the lender’s loan collateral – if the borrower doesn’t pay as agreed, the lender gets the property to offset any losses.

On November 22, 2009, I advised readers who might lose their homes to “get the foreclosing party into court and into discovery” to make them prove they were the lien holder. Make them provide evidence of lawful ownership of the property. In many instances, those doing the foreclosing cannot provide evidence. Article here.

If a little old lady knew this a year ago, where have the high-paid mainstream media business experts been hiding? Where are Bloomberg and Fox Business News when you need them? This potential mortgage fraud involves (as I calculate it) at least 62 million American mortgages. If the average mortgage loan outstanding is $150,000, multiply 62,000,000 by 150,000 to find the total dollars involved.

A major part of the foreclosure nightmare starts with a software program that registers property liens to a computer system called Mortgage Electronic Registration System (MERS). MERS serves as a document custodian. Thus, if ABC Mortgage Company makes the loan and takes the house as collateral against the loan, ABC’s lien against the house is registered to MERS, not to ABC Mortgage Company.

When ABC tells MERS it wants to foreclose on a property, the property is foreclosed in the MERS name, not that of ABC. MERS registers the lien in its own system naming itself lien holder, but it holds no financial interest in the property and uses outside “legal resources.” It was created by mortgage bankers to simplify the transferring of mortgage liens. It will ease your mind to know that Freddie and Fannie are part owners of the MERS system. MERS’s Legal services companies produce documents needed for foreclosure. It appears those documents often have forged signatures. One guy at a foreclosure mill “legal service” admitted to forging over 10,000 documents.

MERS forecloses on properties when a certifying officer registered with (not employed by) MERS tells it to foreclose – and MERS turns the request over to a “foreclosure mill.” Like magic, signatures appear on documents the lender didn’t sign. The legal services company kindly signed for the “certifying officer” who says “I hold the lien” – which may or may not be true.

By recording property liens in the MERS name, it is supposed to create a Trust – but does it? Courts now question whether this process of “securitization” creates legal ownership of anything. It asks the question: How can a legal Trust exist when the homeowner, a primary party responsible for payment to the Trust for property in the Trust (the home), is unaware the Trust exists?

Because of the MERS process, lawyers and property owners are no longer able to turn to the public recording system at your local County Clerk's office to find the name of the property’s lien holder. Why? Because the name “MERS” appears on the document, not the name of the lender who made the mortgage loan.

MERS now forecloses nationally in its own name on liens belonging to mortgage lenders – even though it has no financial interest in the transaction. Because it’s just a computer system, MERS provides no customer service so consumers can’t call and ask why MERS is foreclosing on a property. You can’t work out payment arrangements with a computer system. Maybe you’re the beneficiary of a large inheritance, but won’t get it until next month. A sane lender would wait for you to get the inheritance and let you pay the past due loan payments. Until now, MERS, in theory if not in law, has remained an innocent proxy functioning on behalf of realtors and mortgage bankers.

Read your mortgage loan papers. Loan documents have for years given the loan originator the right to sell your loan. If they choose, they can sell your loan to Freddie or Fannie who can sell it to J.P. Morgan Chase or Citigroup or Bank of America or Goldman Sachs to be placed in a mortgage-backed derivative. At each sales point (when it’s sold to Freddie or Fannie, then to a brokerage firm to create a derivative), the lien holder of your mortgage may be registered as MERS. Your lender’s name may appear nowhere on the documentation as the real lien holder.

What does it mean to you?

First, here are two links that report glowing things about MERS – fair and balanced reporting. You need to read them, too. Article one (for homeowners) is here. Article two, from Mortgage Daily News is here.

However, regardless of what “they” say:

WARNING: If you are thinking of buying a home that was financed between 2004 and the current time, BE VERY CAREFUL. It may be a home whose legal ownership is yet to be determined by the Courts. If the word MERS appears on the property lien… well, I don’t give investment advice – but I’d walk away from it. It wouldn’t be fun to buy a new home and be evicted six months later because the Courts decide that the MERS securitization process is illegal and the original owners (two owners ago, maybe) still own the property.

Investigate your existing property’s chain of ownership evidence. Start by going here. Once you get the data, sleep with a copy under your pillow in case your local Sheriff shows up some night with eviction papers in his hand.

If your mortgage loan originated between 2004 and the current time, the lien filed against your home (and unless your mortgage loan is paid in full, there is a lien against it) may well be in MERS’ name, not your lender’s. Over half of all new residential mortgage loans in America are registered with MERS and are recorded in that name. And, if your home doesn't have a mortgage, don't feel too safe. Some people with no mortgage -- some who never even had a mortgage -- have been evicted from their homes.

Let’s say you financed a house in 2005. Your mortgage loan may have been sold by the lender to Freddie or Fannie who may have sold it to J.P. Morgan Chase or Citigroup or Bank of America or Goldman Sachs. Your mortgage may have been placed into a mortgage-backed derivative investment product sold by one of the too big to jail brokerage houses.

Investors all over the world are trying to reclaim their losses from mortgage-backed derivatives gone bad. They file suit against the brokerage house that sold the worthless derivative. The brokerage house (or insurance company) files suit against companies that sold them the mortgages in the worthless derivatives. Thus, your home on which the payments are current, may be foreclosed because foreign investors are suing brokers who created derivatives that got fried – and your mortgage was part of the package.

MERS is just part of the problem. Read Parts 2 and 3.

© 2010 Marilyn M. Barnewall - All Rights Reserved

Marilyn MacGruder Barnewall began her career in 1956 as a journalist with the Wyoming Eagle in Cheyenne. During her 20 years (plus) as a banker and bank consultant, she wrote extensively for The American Banker, Bank Marketing Magazine, Trust Marketing Magazine, was U.S. Consulting Editor for Private Banker International (London/Dublin), and other major banking industry publications. She has written seven non-fiction books about banking and taught private banking at Colorado University for the American Bankers Association. She has authored seven banking books, one dog book, and one work of fiction (about banking, of course). She has served on numerous Boards in her community. Barnewall is the former editor of The National Peace Officer Magazine and as a journalist has written guest editorials for the Denver Post, Rocky Mountain News and Newsweek, among others. On the Internet, she has written for News With Views, World Net Daily, Canada Free Press, Christian Business Daily, Business Reform, and others. She has been quoted in Time, Forbes, Wall Street Journal and other national and international publications. She can be found in Who's Who in America (2005-10), Who's Who of American Women (2006-10), Who's Who in Finance and Business (2006-10), and Who's Who in the World (2008). E-Mail: marilynmacg@juno.com

MORTGAGE MAYHEM, MERS, HOT TUBS AND THE FBI -- PART 2 of 3

By Marilyn M. Barnewall October 31, 2010 NewsWithViews.com

Part 2 of 3

How did mortgage fraud of such national proportion happen – and why?

It was the early 1990s, after the U.S. Congress passed the Depository Institutions Deregulation and Monetary Control Act that helped America’s former mortgage lenders fail – you remember the savings and loans industry.

The mortgage lenders that replaced savings and loans wanted to evade title costs. They sought ways to bypass state and county registrations that normally identify and assign property title ownership.

There’s more to this story than Freddie and Fannie investing in a company called Mortgage Electronic Registration System (MERS) to speed things up and, for a fee, reduce land title costs. As stated in Part I, mortgage lenders and realtors decided they could profit greatly if a computer system operated a database to track ownership – and, as part of that process, have that computer system become the “mortgagee of record.” Foreclosure by proxy was born.

Why did it take so long to uncover all of this foreclosure corruption and fraud? Why did it take so long for us to hear the words ‘Mortgage Electronic Registration System’ (MERS)? Why did it take an entire industry so long to ask “Is securitization by proxy legal?”

MERS stands behind two or three giant corporate walls and people don’t know how to penetrate those walls to protect their property. They know they can’t afford to stay in court longer than their mortgage bank and possibly several other big, involved corporations with lawyers on staff. Because of the walls of lawyers ready to defend clients against whom it is difficult to prove criminal intent, MERS has successfully foreclosed without even producing original notes. It’s very difficult to defeat a faceless enemy.

To make things worse, under the MERS program almost any “certifying officer” can come to court, claim ownership of a lien, and proceed to foreclose. There are so many “certifying officers” at MERS, the courts have difficulty verifying whether the entity that shows up in court and claims ownership actually owns the lien on the property. Since MERS by-passes filing the actual name of the lien holder in public records, normal research sources are useless. I repeat: The “certifying officers” don’t work for MERS, they are merely registered on the computer system as “certifying officers.” Crazy, I know.

The actual holder of the mortgage (or a certifying officer that isn’t, but wants to become, the legally recognized lien holder) pays a fee and records the mortgage in the name of MERS. And, when asked, MERS forecloses, acting as proxy document custodian for the stated lien holder. But when mortgage loans have been leveraged so many times in the mortgage-backed derivative process, who knows who the actual lien holder is? Often, the courts do not. Even more often, innocent victims cannot fight their way through the mortgage industry’s walls of lawyers to protect themselves against unlawful foreclosure.

It’s important to understand this process because in its custodial/proxy status, MERS has been viewed as an investment trust. It has no customer service personnel. So if you or your lawyer ask MERS about “the trustee” – if it can be identified – you will likely be referred to the legal servicer, who will then direct you or your counsel back to MERS. Non-responsiveness, then, is used as leverage to intimidate and force homeowners out of their property.

This system appears to make the theft of private property acceptable. If it works with mortgages, it can be used for anything – maybe your pension fund. Nothing will be safe from the personal property mafia. Are mortgages merely a test case?

Another Massive Mortgage Fraud? Judge Reverses Himself After Hot Tub Meeting.

An interesting story published on October 9th by Washington Post Staff Writer Tom Jackman illustrates the breadth and depth of another kind of mortgage fraud.

Earlier in the year, District Judge Gerald Bruce Lee dismissed Bank of America as a defendant in a potential Northern Virginia real estate fraud case – and Judge Lee has reversed his own decision.

In Virginia, 129 investors filed against Bank of America, and in North Carolina, 285 investors filed. Both filings were about the same fraudulent act – Bank of America, again. All shouted “foul” on lots they said had been over-valued by the appraiser. Here, mortgage fraud becomes an issue of unrealistic, overstated loan appraisals sanctioned – even encouraged – by mortgage lenders.

In 2006, the 414 investors claim they purchased overpriced vacant lots in North Carolina. They didn’t know they were overpriced because appraisals supported the $400,000 price. Appraisal fraud has become another major financial services industry problem. Investors were assured they could buy the lots with no money down, make no payment for two years, and in the meantime flip the properties for certain profit.

I’m not a fan of real estate flipping speculators. This case is a bit different because of the appraisals. Investors say the seller was buying the lots for $150,000, then reselling them for $300,000 or more. It somehow escapes the “victims’” notice that they planned to buy the lots and then do to another buyer what was done to them. Each of us deals with conscience in our own way.

The investors say their loss could not have occurred without the help of, in this case, Bank of America (notice how often that name comes up?). They charge that the seller of the lots and the bank colluded to inflate appraised property values.

“That's where the hot tub comes in,” says the Washington Post, explaining the Judge’s decision to reverse his Decision. “In March 2010, after Lee's ruling, a lawyer in the North Carolina case obtained more than 700 pages of e-mails that hadn't been turned over in the Virginia case.”

The court records say a meeting was held to discuss the issue. The meeting took place in a hot tub so, with everyone presumably naked, no one could wear a wire. The e-mails showed a Bank of America loan officer discussing ‘recovery appraisals’ with the sellers of the property.

After the hot tub meeting, the emails were made available to the Court and Judge Lee reversed his earlier decision. The emails proved the seller, who wanted $380,000 for a lot, got a first appraisal via Bank of America for $210,000, then a second appraisal of $220,000. Suddenly, a third appraisal of $385,000 for the same lot appeared. Investors were unaware of the first two appraisals. After the real estate market tanked in 2008, the lots plunged to a value of $20,000 each.

“Lee also noted that Bank of America had obtained mortgage insurance for the loans, which could have provided the bank with a safety net - except that the insurance company later canceled many of the policies because of ‘misrepresentation’ by the bank,” the Washington Post article said.

Insurance, huh? Hmmmm… does anyone remember AIG? The Washington Post says “the insurance company later canceled many of the policies,” but that case is currently being litigated. It is yet to be decided. Maybe taxpayers will be bailing out another insurance company?

Judge Lee gave the Virginia plaintiffs permission to re-file their case against Bank of America with the new evidence, though he said "the issue of plausibility still remains. What did the bank have to gain by entering into fraudulent loans?"

Banks used to loan their deposits. Today, the concept of fractional reserve banking rules, not deposits. The more a bank loans, the more money it creates to lend. Deduct 10 percent (the reserve) from a loan, and the remainder is new money the bank can loan. A $385,000 loan minus $38,500 (10%) gives the bank $346,500 per loan at the almost zero Federal Reserve rate. Times 414 people borrowing for North Carolina lots, the bank lends $143.5 million at an interest rate of, say, 8 percent. That’s $11.5 million in loan interest per year. If the individual loans are only $150,000, the bank earns only $4.5 million (on $56 million, total). That’s why, Judge Lee.

How will the foreclosure fraud story end?

Many people think those who have faced unlawful foreclosure will get their homes back free and clear. After all, fraud was perpetrated. Though there is no doubt damage has been done to victims of unlawful foreclosures, the owners signed a mortgage loan. The loan is still a valid contract. When one signs a loan document, one is obligated to repay the loan. An unlawful foreclosure proceeding doesn’t change that hard, cold fact. Suing for damages is a different issue – a different lawsuit.

In MERS cases, evidence of the chain of ownership may have been broken. Because of the way property liens were handled, the courts may remove homes from the mortgage loan as collateral. The mortgage lender still has a valid loan, but may have lost the house as loan collateral.

If the home as collateral is removed from the loan, the FDIC’s auditors won’t give the lender much choice. Bank auditors will likely require the mortgage lender to call the loan, demanding payment in full.

Every loan agreement stipulates that lenders can call loans in full if conditions change that increase the lender’s risk. So, a new mortgage will be written and the collateral (the house) will be properly perfected this time. Because property values have fallen so drastically, the homeowner may be required to provide more collateral than just the house. And, if the borrower cannot so provide – it is legitimate grounds for foreclosure by the lender.

Could this be a sneaky way for banks to get those loans on which lien ownership cannot be determined because of the MERS and the mortgage-backed, over-leveraged derivatives mess properly re-assigned as collateral on mortgage loans?

For more in-depth information on MERS, written by Christopher Lewis Peterson, Quinney College of Law, University of Utah go here.

Read Parts 1 and 3.

© 2010 Marilyn M. Barnewall - All Rights Reserved

Marilyn MacGruder Barnewall began her career in 1956 as a journalist with the Wyoming Eagle in Cheyenne. During her 20 years (plus) as a banker and bank consultant, she wrote extensively for The American Banker, Bank Marketing Magazine, Trust Marketing Magazine, was U.S. Consulting Editor for Private Banker International (London/Dublin), and other major banking industry publications. She has written seven non-fiction books about banking and taught private banking at Colorado University for the American Bankers Association. She has authored seven banking books, one dog book, and one work of fiction (about banking, of course). She has served on numerous Boards in her community. Barnewall is the former editor of The National Peace Officer Magazine and as a journalist has written guest editorials for the Denver Post, Rocky Mountain News and Newsweek, among others. On the Internet, she has written for News With Views, World Net Daily, Canada Free Press, Christian Business Daily, Business Reform, and others. She has been quoted in Time, Forbes, Wall Street Journal and other national and international publications. She can be found in Who's Who in America (2005-10), Who's Who of American Women (2006-10), Who's Who in Finance and Business (2006-10), and Who's Who in the World (2008). E-Mail: marilynmacg@juno.com

MORTGAGE MAYHEM, MERS, HOT TUBS AND THE FBI -- PART 3 of 3

By Marilyn M. Barnewall October 31, 2010 NewsWithViews.com

Part 3 of 3 Has America’s financial services industry been totally and criminally corrupted?

I think the best description of how America’s economy is structured and how such a structure might allow fraudulent activities is contained in a series of three relatively short videos done by Damon Vrabel. He explains how the economy works in such understandable terms, I highly recommend viewing the videos. Here are links to Video 1, Video 2, and Video 3. If you want to understand our economy, they are well worth your time! (Bio)

The Obama Administration refused this week to support a national halt to foreclosures until the fraud can be identified, isolated, and dealt with in a lawful manner. Politicians aren’t interested in “Constitutional” and “Lawful.” Those cards – and several others – have been left out of the political deck, it appears.

President Obama’s spokesman, Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Secretary Shaun Donovan, said last week that mortgage fraud problems do not pose a “systemic” threat to the financial system.

What do his words really mean? What he is saying is that there is so much evidence the financial system accepts fraudulent acts as its norm, no threat is posed to the system by the fraud. HUD reviewed the “paperwork” problem to see if it posed a threat to banks. Excuse me, Mr. Donovan, but the threat posed is to Americans who have been victims of the foreclosure frauds. The banks that caused the problems be damned!

“We will not tolerate business as usual,” Secretary Donovan said. That sounds very much like a confession that “business as usual” is so unlawful, it has finally become intolerable.

On October 23rd, an expert I hold in high esteem, Professor William Black, University of Missouri, the senior regulator investigating the savings and loan crisis of the 1980s, declared that despite massive fraud by bankers, no one is being charged. He estimates the foreclosure crisis will cost about $10 trillion – yes, trillion with a “t.”

Black said “This is a crisis that we know empirically involved millions of fraudulent mortgages being made. We know that the losses are out there. We know that the industry extorted FASB to gimmick the accounting rules, so they didn’t have to recognize the losses. We know that the Fed has huge positions as collateral in these fraudulent mortgages. We’ve seen the Fed, Ambac, Fannie, Freddie, Pimco, Blackrock – all putting back after investigating tens of billions of dollars of mortgages and saying, these were sold under false representations and warranties – frauds and absolutely no one has gone to jail for it.” (Note: FASB means Financial Accounting Standards Board.)

Professor Black points out that in the savings and loan debacle (which he notes is perhaps 1/40th the size of current mortgage fraud), they got over a thousand priority felony convictions of the elites – not bank tellers, “elites.”

The Mortgage Bankers Association defines mortgage fraud thus:

“Mortgage fraud is defined as material misrepresentation – intentionally providing false information to deceive or mislead a lender into extending credit beyond the limits of what would normally be extended if the facts were known. Information or documentation is considered false if there is clear and convincing data that the information or documentation lacks truth or accuracy.”

According to this definition, lenders, not people unlawfully foreclosed on, are the victims! This says mortgage fraud occurs when consumers who want mortgages lie to lenders on loan applications. That’s true – but it’s only about 1/10th of the story. How many of the examples given in Parts I and II of this article involve liar loans? None. The MBA definition of mortgage fraud covers the backsides of those companies who made liar loans to sell to Wall Street brokers so they could create worthless derivatives that have bankrupted the world.

This is the government your tax dollars supports.

Professor Black states that “the FBI formed a partnership with the Mortgage Bankers Association, the trade association of the perps.”

Could that be true? Is the FBI in bed with the MBA?

The FBI Web site in March 2007 said “Today the FBI and the Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA) entered into an agreement to combat Mortgage Fraud. The FBI and the MBA will make available a Mortgage Fraud Warning Notice as a proactive means of educating consumers and mortgage-lending professionals of the penalties and consequences of this criminal activity.” As I read those words, The Mortgage Fraud Warning Notice told borrowers they would be guilty of mortgage fraud if they lied when applying for a loan -- as people did (and were encouraged to do) when applying for liar loans.

Question to the FBI: Where is your Warning Notice to mortgage lenders who create a computer system that acts as a lien holder by proxy and destroys the reliability of our property registration recording system – and unlawfully forecloses against homeowners?

It is impossible that the MBA and the FBI did not know about MERS. It is impossible the reports of consumer foreclosure abuse did not reach desks at both organizations. It is impossible that complaints about unlawful foreclosures did not reach the desks of Congressmen and Senators from those unlawfully foreclosed. So much for the law and “representation.”

Many readers will recall the articles (here) I wrote about how the State of Wisconsin filed fraudulent charges against Ambassador Lee/Leo Emil Wanta for a civil income tax assessment. I have written about the abuses heaped on the head of this American Patriot by the FBI and other intelligence agencies for which Lee Wanta once worked. He won’t play their dirty games. He won’t compromise his beliefs to get $4.5 trillion of his own money that in 2006 was wired to him by the People’s Bank of China when he sold personal business interests overseas. The funds were wired – in compliance with a Decision made by Judge Gerald Bruce Lee – to Bank of America in Richmond, Virginia. Yes, that’s the same Judge named in Article II of this series whose court records involve a hot tub meeting. Yes, it's the same Bank of America against which investors have filed charges for loan appraisal collusion.

It is 2010 and Ambassador Wanta is still fighting to gain access to the $4.5 trillion that was wired to him. This isn't the place for his story. If you want more information, it’s at the blog address provided above. The point is, this has been a "story" for a long time, but Wanta fights his battle for justice alone.

Lee Wanta's tie to this particular article? In 1995, Wanta’s home was unlawfully foreclosed by Wisconsin authorities. There was no mortgage on the home. Charges had been filed against him – unlawful charges for a civil income tax assessment. That's all it takes: Not proof of guilt, just "an assessment."

How different things might be today if, when the funds one man transferred into the United States were unlawfully withheld from him, every citizen in the country had written to their Senator and Congressman, demanding this one person be treated lawfully. That’s how they do things, you know? They fly one false flag to see if the public will allow it. When we do, they fly a bigger false flag, next time. Finally, as the greedy always do, they fly a flag so big it kills the goose that lays the golden eggs. This time around, the goose happens to be named “America’s economy.”

The mortgage mess makes it very clear how the intelligence agencies have been compromised. If they were not compromised, this kind of fraud could not be carried out with impunity on such a broad scale. As Professor Black suggests, over a thousand arrests were made during the savings and loan scandal and this is 40 times greater. Why have no arrests been made of mortgage fraudsters? Maybe it’s their Wall Street addresses – or, connections to that address?

It reminds me of the popular email story about when the Nazis came for Jews who were strangers. Jews and others, including Christians, who didn’t know them ignored the cries for help. Then they came for Jews who were acquaintances, then those who were friends. Still cries for help were ignored. “Then the Nazis came for me… but there was no one left to cry out to for help.”

We need to pay more attention to individual government abuse. When things are small, they can be stopped. When fraud gains volume and momentum, it’s too late to stop things without causing a major crisis.

So many innocent people get hurt because we don’t confront those we elect to office. So many innocent people could be spared if we cared enough to act rather than sit back and watch and wait for the next headline.

People who think they can avoid confrontation with evil need a good dose of reality. Evil tends to seek out the non-confrontational.

Will someone be there when you cry out for help?

Read Parts 1 and 2.

© 2010 Marilyn M. Barnewall - All Rights Reserved

Marilyn MacGruder Barnewall began her career in 1956 as a journalist with the Wyoming Eagle in Cheyenne. During her 20 years (plus) as a banker and bank consultant, she wrote extensively for The American Banker, Bank Marketing Magazine, Trust Marketing Magazine, was U.S. Consulting Editor for Private Banker International (London/Dublin), and other major banking industry publications. She has written seven non-fiction books about banking and taught private banking at Colorado University for the American Bankers Association. She has authored seven banking books, one dog book, and one work of fiction (about banking, of course). She has served on numerous Boards in her community. Barnewall is the former editor of The National Peace Officer Magazine and as a journalist has written guest editorials for the Denver Post, Rocky Mountain News and Newsweek, among others. On the Internet, she has written for News With Views, World Net Daily, Canada Free Press, Christian Business Daily, Business Reform, and others. She has been quoted in Time, Forbes, Wall Street Journal and other national and international publications. She can be found in Who's Who in America (2005-10), Who's Who of American Women (2006-10), Who's Who in Finance and Business (2006-10), and Who's Who in the World (2008).

E-Mail: marilynmacg@juno.com

MEMO TO: VOTERS

MEMO FROM: Marilyn MacGruder Barnewall

TO: American Patriots

DATE: 24 October 2010

SUBJECT: SAVING YOUR NATION

It is a sad commentary, but it’s true. Money runs the political process. That’s why I’m writing a Memo to Voters.

Protest carries only so much impact. Eventually, protesters must do something – or, lose credibility – or sound like perpetual whiners in need of government assistance.

Conservatives are at a tipping point. There is no doubt that our moment of dissonance as a nation drew many people, previously content to let government run things, to Tea Party and other activist groups. Political abuse forced people from apathy to involvement. Americans love their country and are not content to sit back while it is kidnapped by a bunch of oligarchs.

An oligarchy is a form of government where all power is held by a ruling or dominant class. It is government by the few over the many.

What makes me confident oligarchy is the direction our Republic is headed? An oligarchy is made up of two classes, the rich and the poor. One reason for America’s success is its independent middle class. It has, until now, prevented oligarch domination.

There is one important thing that separates the American middle class from that of most European nations. America’s middle class doesn’t work for the government. If you think that doesn’t make a difference, look at the recent Greek uprisings and the current ones in France. America consists of independent businesses. We are a nation with three distinct classes – the poor, an independent middle class, and the upper class. If you’re an upper-class elitist who wants an oligarchy, one objective is primary: Eliminate the independent middle class.

One way the independent nature of the middle class can be eliminated is by making a majority of workers government employees. They are then dependent for their survival on doing what they are told. We have seen much of that at Government Motors (GM) and other places since TARP and TALF.

Or, the middle class can be eliminated by dissolving the value of the single important asset that draws a line in the sand between poverty and middle class: Home equity value, the primary asset of American middle class wealth.

Perhaps you thought the attempted death blow to the housing market was accidental. Most of my regular readers know I’m writing a novel explaining what appears to be the economic stupidity of American politicians. Were they stupidities? Or, were they planned failures? If you are interested in finding out, I have placed a portion of Chapter Nine at my blog. The book won’t be out for several months, so don't ask 'cause I can't tell.

What Chapter Nine explains is that the real estate market was the primary victim when the economy went South in 2008. The real estate market dropped like a rock and hasn’t found a floor to regain its value since. It tells you why two government-sponsored entities -- mortgage companies -- were created. It tells you how Congress dissolved the savings and loan industry so these two giant mortgage companies could be created and controlled to bring about our ongoing crisis.

Why did they need to get rid of thousands of savings and loans so two giant mortgage companies hold a majority of America's mortgage debt? They wanted to package mortgages, good and bad, into worthless weapons of mass destruction called "mortgage-backed derivatives." They couldn't control how mortgages were written at thousands of savings and loans -- but could control loan structure at two giant mortgage companies. The S&Ls had to go. The real estate market took what appears to me to be a very well-planned nose dive and middle class assets were destroyed. Without your primary residence, Mr. and Mrs. Middle Class America, how financially stable are you?

That attack was perpetrated often using totally unlawful foreclosure methods. The financial services industry and government violated not only the law but basic decency to foreclose on your neighbors' homes -- while driving down the value of your home. A Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO) lawsuit has been filed by a Kentucky lawyer on behalf of clients caught up in illegitimate home foreclosures. There weren’t just a handful of forged documents created to unlawfully foreclose against people. There were thousands. That potentially makes it an organized crime problem.

The entire system is corrupt, from local to national. Getting Republicans elected won’t solve the problem. Both parties have been penetrated by libertarians and progressive liberals and too many republicans are shills of the Republican Party who serve party rather than the people. We need to re-discover our moral compass. It got lost while we the people were on political vacation.

Many who vote this time will make mistakes, thinking they are voting for one thing to later find they voted for another. The main reason for their disappointment will be money.

Is money the curse of politics? Or, is it the solution? Maybe it’s both.

As much as I find that answer distasteful, one doesn’t avoid the truth because it smells like garbage. When you avoid the truth, you avoid solutions.

There is something all people who believe in our Constitution and the Rule of Law and in Truth – those who want to get our country back – need to consider.

On 31 March 1988, Dr. Martin Luther King gave a speech titled Remaining Awake Through a Great Revolution. He said: ‘“Is it safe?’ Expediency asks the question ‘Is it politic?’ And Vanity comes along and asks the question, ‘Is it popular?’ But Conscience asks the question "Is it right?" And there comes a time when one must take a position that is neither safe, nor politic, nor popular, but he must do it because Conscience tells him it is right.”

Answers to these same questions will determine where you and I stand on our page in history.

Conservative candidates need help raising money. We need to do that to become part of the political force that enables us to tell a newly-elected Congressman or Senator “If you don’t support the revocation of health care, we’ll back a candidate in a primary race against you next election.” Or, “If you vote for cap and trade, welcome to a primary race at election time! We'll unseat you as quickly as we seated you!”

That they understand. It places emphasis where it should be: On what politicians do, not on what they promise or try to explain away in the aftermath of their actions.

Successful candidates need advertising and campaign funds if they are going to win primary races and elections for Congress or Senate -- or, County Commissioner. They need publicity. Are you actively seeking a good advertising executive to join your group? You should!

Candidates need to be thoroughly researched. We don’t need something from an otherwise good candidate's background to give opposing candidates advertising fodder. You need money to do background research. Raise it!

Money draws thieves and scoundrels like a light draws moths on a hot July night. So, what are you going to do? Turn off the lights? Not likely. Instead, make use of a screen door and get rid of the moths.

Establish a Trust Fund in each state. Since you know money attracts thieves, create a Conservative Voters Trust Fund (CVTF) with such tight limits on spending, fraud can be avoided – or, at the very least, detected quickly should it occur. If there are fifty Tea Party groups in your state, and if your CVTF requires a two-thirds vote of the membership of each for candidate financial support, you can minimize the danger of fraud. If your Trust Charter requires a good accounting and reporting system to all contributors, fraud can be minimized. The vote of each group is weighted to the amount contributed by it when voting for national candidates -- but they determine how they spend their funds locally.

Spend the next two years finding the best possible candidates. Research them. Use your state’s political system to get real conservatives nominated as delegates to county and state Assemblies. We can either continue to give our oppressors power by allowing money to win their political races; or, we can use their rules against them and get people elected who will change the rules so money isn’t the dominant political factor.

Use events to raise money. It’s not that difficult to raise enough to put a down payment on a meeting room and pay for some airline tickets and hotel rooms for good speakers. You don’t need a star that charges speaker fees. People want to listen and are willing to pay a reasonable amount when you present someone with something important to say -- publicize it properly. And, you need someone who knows how to promote an event to get publicity and good mail brochures. It helps if they know enough about politics to know the best mailing list for the topic being presented to raise funds.

Remember, when you avoid the truth, you avoid solutions. One of the best ways to avoid the reality of truth is to waste your precious vote. VOTE! It's more important this year than ever! Get those *&^%#@! who voted for health care and TARP and TALF out of office!

SECESSION AND THE PRINCIPALITY OF SNAKE HILL

Tue, Oct 19, 2010 Marilyn Barnewall, Political Philosophy, Secession

by Marilyn M. Barnewall

A lot of people in America talk about secession, but few who talk the talk understand the complexities of walking the walk. It’s always good to find another who has led the way.

Secession and sovereignty are very serious steps. What needs to be done – and how – is clearly defined for those who want to do more than just bluster about it. No nation can live comfortably in isolation. Yet, without proper plans, citizens will be forced to live uncomfortably if their state declares Sovereignty. Isolation predicts failure – and chaos.

To those who think all it takes to secede is a decision and a signed piece of paper, you are wrong and you do yourself and your nation no good by over-simplifying the complex.

Before writing me emails about my using the words “live comfortably,” let me quickly say it is not used to connote sitting around, listening to cha-cha music while eating bon-bons. For purposes of this article, I define “comfortably” as a society that provides access to modern medical treatment, healthy food, interstate/international commerce, currency/financial organization, residential availability, and the Rule of Law – a stable society.

Anyone who supports the right to declare sovereignty and secede needs to understand if such a step is taken without proper preparation, failure is likely. One of the first questions to be answered is: What benefits does your state currently receive from the federal government? How will you replace those programs? Surely, you don’t expect a nation from which you secede to continue giving you access to its currency, its banking system, its medical technology, or the hundreds of other things available to Member States.

Has your state planned to take control of banking, currency, and credit? All are needed to achieve sovereignty. There are hundreds of things you will need: car license plates, driving licenses, mail delivery, medical care for the elderly, passports, highways and streets, schools, and the list goes on. Sovereignty is possible but requires preparation.

Perhaps secession hopefuls can learn from a small, faraway place, the Principality of Snake Hill. It is an independent Principality – yet is located on the Continent of Australia, about 45 miles from Sydney. It successfully seceded from the Commonwealth of Australia. A lighthouse showing the way in the dark is always good. In this case, the beam of light comes from the Mudgee Guardian, an Australian newspaper.

Reporter Darren Snyder wrote an interesting piece about Snake Hill last February 3rd. Snyder’s column, titled “A nation in our midst,” says: “Somewhere within the Mudgee region lies another nation with its own flag, coat of arms, parliament, passports, casino and shopping centre.“

Mudgee is neighbor to Snake Hill.

“The Principality of Snake Hill was founded in September 2003 after some then Australian residents decided to secede from the nation on the basis of an ill-fated land and income suit which was going to take away their every last dollar.

“According to Crown Princess Paula, daughter of Head of State Prince Paul and his wife Princess Helena, the nation achieves quite a bit for its size,” Snyder says.

In the article, Princess Paula describes how Snake Hill served as negotiator between two major countries for an oil treaty, explains how Snake Hill conducts trade and is looking to expand, is investigating the exportation of wine, has had dealings with the United Nations and World Trade Organization, and the Principality’s submission of applications to the International Olympic Committee for its soccer team. Her descriptions are purposeful. The Princess is letting people know that Snake Hill is doing the things a nation must do if it wants to be considered Sovereign.

“The Principality has certainly not sold themselves short in their Cabinet, with their United States Ambassador and Trade Commissioner being Lee E. Wanta – a man credited with helping bring down the old Soviet Union in 1990.” So says the Mudgee Guardian.

According to the article (here), the Principality of Snake Hill is “Approximately 900 metres above sea level and 1.6 square kilometers in size, the principality has almost 200 citizens who are formally engaged from around Australia and the world, including a consulate in a suburb of Sydney.”

Snake Hill declared itself Sovereign and became a Principality, notified the proper authorities of its Sovereignty, and complied with all international laws of sovereignty.

Following is an explanation of why Snake Hill felt compelled to secede. This information was sent to every politician and legislator throughout the Commonwealth of Australia, from Victoria to Tasmania, after sovereignty was declared. What happened to Prince Paul’s family in 2003 is happening to Americans in 2010.

“TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN

“Our family was sued without reason when we were AHEAD with our mortgage and our lender stated we were behind, but also admitted that we were ahead. They even filed an Affidavit admitting we were AHEAD.

“The NSW Supreme Court ignored all of the evidence in that case, and gave two of our properties to the fraudsters.

“As they had gotten two of our properties so easily, they then threatened to steal all of our properties.

“We had already seen that we had NO rights whatsoever under Australian or New South Wales law, and had not received any protection from the NSW Supreme Court, or any government department or agency, and had met so many other victims of property theft through/by Australian Courts so we turned to International Law.

“We sent our declaration of independence to the Governor-General on the 2nd September 2003, who replied on 4th September 2003. We sent copies of those letters, copies of documents from our fraudulent court case with an accompanying letter to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth ll. Her reply was dated 28th November 2003.

“As a matter of courtesy, we also sent copies of our declaration of independence to the Australian Prime Minister, NSW Governor and NSW Premier on 2nd September 2003.

“NO attempt was made to refute our unilateral secession, as of right.

“Our declaration of independence stated that our nation consists of three parts, which were the three remaining properties they threatened to steal. They were known as 11 Melaleuca Close, Castle Hill, 149 – 153 Aaron`s Pass Road, Mudgee and 372 Wiseman`s Ferry Road, Gunderman.

“This was mentioned in Court soon after our secession.

“We notified the Secretary-General of the United Nations of the formation of our new independent sovereign nation. His reply was dated 17th August 2004.

“Since then our country has had substantial cordial ministerial correspondence with Australian and foreign government ministers, as well as with Royals and Non-Governmental Organisations, as per the Estrada Doctrine.

“Our nation has territory, population, government and has established communication and trade with other nations, as per the Montevideo Convention.

“Many of our prominent citizens are also property theft victims who were defrauded of property by judgments made against the evidence and against the law in Australian Courts. Our combined thefts amount to tens of millions of dollars, if not more. These illegal acts by Australian authorities forced us to form our National Liberation Movement and to secede.

“We were never compensated for the theft of our properties, or the theft of our rental income, or for the other costs incurred by the illegal litigation. None of our fellow Snake Hillians have been compensated for their thefts either, which is clearly against international law and is especially contrary to the report to the United Nations prepared by Professor van Boven.

“Australian Courts should not entertain any claims against any of us, or against our territory as per the Foreign States Immunities Act 1985 and International Law.

“(Please note, further attacks are NOT the same as compensation or restitution.)

“Our nation is well known in diplomatic, legal, academic and governmental circles, internationally.

“Like any other independent sovereign nation, we have our own Constitution, legal system, laws, central bank, currency, vehicle registration plates, drivers licences, passports, diplomats, sporting teams, anthem, flag, coat of arms, postage stamps, post office, etc etc

“Members of the General Assembly of the United Nations are aware of all of these facts.

“We are currently enjoying our seventh year of independence.

“Our status has been advertised through signs on each portion of our territory, with our main website which was established 7th September 2003, as well as through several newspaper advertisements, magazine articles, books, radio, and television programs. We feature in a documentary which is currently being made for the world market, and the preliminary filming has been finalised.

“In case you doubt or are unaware of the facts of the illegal litigation that led to our secession, you can find the relevant documents on one of our websites which is linked to our main site.

“Please see attached list of correspondence verified by Justice of the Peace.

“Yours sincerely

“The Principality of Snake Hill

“(Country Codes: QS, QSH and 923)

“www.snakehillprincipality.info”

The Convention states there must be a permanent population, a defined territory, government and capacity to enter into relations with other states.

“We have pretty much read every International Law textbook ever published,” Princess Paula said.

The Princess also added the choices her family had at the end of the property and income suit.

“The suit case ended with us having two choices, becoming destitute and appealing to the same system we were dudded by or seceding from Australia and keeping what we had,” she said.

The Princess said the principality did not paying Mid-Western Regional Council rates and said when she had contacted the Council there had been confusion because it was the first time they had dealt with a seceded principality.

At time of printing, the Council had not returned the Mudgee Guardian’s calls.

For further information, check the Principality of Snake Hill website: snakehillprincipality.webs.com

Question:

How much do American supporters of state sovereignty know about the Estrada Doctrine, the Montevideo Convention, or the Foreign States Immunities Act 1985 and International Law? Have they read the Report to the United Nations prepared by Professor van Boven?

All worthwhile things require preparation. It’s hard to get to a destination without a map. This is not a good time to get lost.

General Jones, Donilon, and other Boondoggles

Sunday, October 17, 2010 News With Views

By Marilyn M. Barnewall

We all sin. We are human beings and are born of the physical world. But we have a spiritual nature.

Humans are more than animals – I know that’s going to make PETA members angry, but it’s true. If we weren’t different from other animals, we wouldn’t be concerned with loving one another and honoring our parents. We wouldn’t care about the poor. The strong survive in the animal world.

In The New Intellectual, Ayn Rand describes the differences between human beings and animals. She points out that we share two ingrained traits: Perception and sensation. All animal life has the gift of sensation… of being sated by food or sex or winning a competition. All have the gift of perception and can innately sense danger or safety or hatred or love. Humans and animals share the traits of perception and sensation.

Human beings want to live life at a level higher than that of the cave. We tap into a different capacity than sensation or perception, one unavailable to other animals.

According to Ms. Rand, humans have a third capacity. It is the capacity for conceptual thought. It belongs exclusively to humans. No one can force people to use it and no one can prevent them from doing so. That’s how freedom came to be. It was conceptualized. We can read and write because we can conceptualize.

Conceptual thought is the base from which all creative expression comes and creative expression can result in either malignant or positive energy. Creative energy can be good or it can be evil. People can conceptualize positively, or negatively. It’s our choice.

And, speaking of choices, President Obama has appointed a new National Security Advisor (NSA). At this particular time in America’s history, NSA is a critically important job. Below are the bios of the outgoing and the incoming NSA. Decide for yourself if an appropriate level of concern for the security of our nation is exemplified by this choice.

Four Star United States Marine General James L. Jones, Jr. resigned as National Security Advisor on October 8, 2010. His successor, Thomas E. Donilon, was appointed to succeed him the same date.

Job Qualifications:

GENERAL JAMES L. JONES, JR.: United States Marine 1967-2007. General Jones commanded the 3rd Battalion, 9th Marines; 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit; 2nd Marine Division; Commandant of the Marine Corps, July 1999 to January 2003; United States European Command and Supreme Allied Commander, Europe, 2003 to 2006. Combat: Vietnam and the Gulf War (in October 1967, sent to Vietnam; served as a platoon and company commander with Golf Company, 2nd Battalion, 3rd Marines.). Medals: Defense Distinguished Service, Silver Star, Legion of Merit, Bronze Star, French Légion d'honneur, French Ordre national du Merite, Portugal Order of Aviz, Canadian Meritorious Service Cross, NATO Meritorious Service Medal, inter alia.

General Jones served as Chairman of the Congressional Independent Commission, Security Forces of Iraq in 2007. That Commission investigated the Iraqi police and armed forces capabilities. In November 2007, he was appointed by the U.S. Secretary of State as special envoy for Middle East security. He graduated from the War College in June 1985.

General Jones is a Marine who bravely served his country in war and peace and is an internationally trained and knowledgeable individual with experience in the Middle East. He was very qualified for this job.

THOMAS E. DONILON: A lawyer, Editorial Board of Law Review, University of Virginia (1985). Brother, Mike, a lawyer and political consultant is also Counselor to Vice President Joe Biden. Sister, Cathy Russell, is Chief of Staff to Jill Biden. During the Carter administration, Donilon was Congressional Liaison for the White House.

In 1980 and 1984, he managed the Democratic National Conventions (Jimmy Carter lost to Ronald Reagan in 1980; Walter Mondale lost to President Reagan in 1984). Donilon was Senior Advisor to Senate Judiciary Committee, Joseph Biden Chairman, from 1986-1988. You may recall, in September 1987, Senator Biden withdrew from the Presidential race. It was reported he plagiarized a speech given by British politician Neil Kinnock. There were allegations Biden had exaggerated his academic record.

Donilon was also a senior adviser to the presidential campaign of Michael Dukakis. He broke his losing streak when he assisted Bill Clinton with debate preparation, then served as an adviser for Clinton’s 1992 transition team. He helped prepare President Obama for his debate with Senator John McCain. He worked at the State Department as chief spokesman and Assistant Secretary of State for Public Affairs. He’s a politician and a lobbyist from a political family.

Oh, yes. He was Executive Vice President at Fannie Mae. He lobbied against increased regulation of Fannie Mae… and made millions of dollars while doing it. And now the President has appointed him America's National Security Advisor.

According to journalist Michael O’Brien, “Rep. Cliff Stearns (R-Fla.) pressured Donilon, the current deputy national security adviser, to decline the new job due to his work in the past as a lobbyist for mortgage giant Fannie Mae and his lack of previous military experience (article, The Hill, 15 Oct 10).

HIGH-SPEED RAIL BOONDOGGLE UPDATE

Speaking of boondoggles, last month, I wrote an article titled “Bullet Train Boondoggle.” I’ve been puzzled why, beginning January 2010, so many ridiculous political statements were made about high-speed rail (HRS). President Obama and Vice President Biden spoke of rapid transit projects around the country as if they were HSR. They weren't.

What were they up to?

The answer came a couple of weeks ago when a Reuters story crossed my desk announcing the presence of California Governor Arnold Schwarzenneger in Shanghai. He was there to ask the Chinese for assistance in funding and building the California HSR system. Obama is promising Governors high-speed rail systems, but Treasury’s checkbook is in big time overdraft!

If the federal government can’t afford to build California’s high-speed rail system, why are they promising other states HSR systems? If their promises to fund California aren't any good, how good are they elsewhere?

As I told readers, in late August I wrote letters to every sitting governor and all Republican gubernatorial candidates about what I perceived to be a boondoggle. I sent them links to my high-speed rail blog (here). The results are interesting.

On October 7th, Governor Christie in New Jersey halted a train tunnel, citing its cost. A New York Times article says, “Mr. Christie’s decision stunned other government officials and advocates of public transportation because work on the tunnel was under way and $3 billion of federal financing had already been arranged – more money had been committed to it than any other transit project in America.”

Governor Christie rejected the project saying it would cost at least $2.5 billion more than the original $8.7 billion estimate. New Jersey taxpayers would have to pay – and Christie did not want taxpayers on “a never-ending hook.” It was a brave (and correct) decision!

Another New York Times article on October 4th: “Republicans running for governor in a handful of states could block, or significantly delay, one of President Obama’s signature initiatives: his plan to expand the passenger rail system and to develop the nation’s first bullet-train service.”

Scott Walker, a Milwaukee executive and the Republican candidate for Governor of Wisconsin, has made his opposition to high-speed rail funded by government a campaign centerpiece. Wisconsin, Walker says, could be made to spend $7 to $10 million a year in operational costs. He has run television ads calling the project a “boondoggle.”

The Times article also points out that Ohio Republican gubernatorial candidate John Kasich has vowed to “kill a $400 million federal stimulus project” in Ohio. Rick Scott, the Republican candidate for governor in Florida, has questioned the wisdom of the planned project between Tampa and Orlando.

In California, gubernatorial candidate Meg Whitman says the state needs to put high-speed rail on hold. Whitman is right (though Governor Schwarzenneger says she’s wrong – while he travels to Shanghai to get funding and building assistance because Washington won’t provide funds).

Ms. Whitman, the experienced and highly successful executive who built eBay from an unknown online auction house to one of the most used Internet sites, is right. California can’t afford government paid HSR – and Amtrak doesn’t have experience with HSR’s more sophisticated engineering construction. They don’t do very well with what they have – but Amtrak is Obama’s expertise source.

According to The New York Times, federal officials are “incredulous that candidates are threatening to spurn stimulus money…”

So what’s the boondoggle?

All of these high-speed rail promises hit the front pages of newspapers in major cities – Detroit, Cincinnati, Chicago, Milwaukee, Cleveland, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Orlando, Tampa – promising what? Jobs! It’s the number one issue among American voters. The promise of high-speed rail is a promise of union jobs – so vote for Democrats. The money isn’t in the Treasury for government to build high-speed rail but it’s a great way to get votes.

The fact that federal officials are “incredulous” that candidates spurn stimulus money is indicative of the conceptually negative world in which Washington, D.C. bureaucrats live.

We must stop listening to what politicians and bureaucrats say. Too many of them understand the survival of the fittest deriving from perception and sensation. They plan to survive by being the fittest, no matter how many people get harmed in the process. They don’t know how to find positive solutions to negative concepts.

Is Obama’s decision to appoint a former lobbyist at Fannie Mae as National Security Advisor a conceptually positive move? Maybe it is – if you’re looking for ways to endanger your nation.

Are promises of jobs by offering high-speed rail projects the government can’t afford to implement positive concepts? Only if your daily diet is negative lies.

© 2010 Marilyn M. Barnewall - All Rights Reserved

Marilyn MacGruder Barnewall began her career in 1956 as a journalist with the Wyoming Eagle in Cheyenne. During her 20 years (plus) as a banker and bank consultant, she wrote extensively for The American Banker, Bank Marketing Magazine, Trust Marketing Magazine, was U.S. Consulting Editor for Private Banker International (London/Dublin), and other major banking industry publications. She has written seven non-fiction books about banking and taught private banking at Colorado University for the American Bankers Association. She has authored seven banking books, one dog book, and one work of fiction (about banking, of course). She has served on numerous Boards in her community.

Barnewall is the former editor of The National Peace Officer Magazine and as a journalist has written guest editorials for the Denver Post, Rocky Mountain News and Newsweek, among others. On the Internet, she has written for News With Views, World Net Daily, Canada Free Press, Christian Business Daily, Business Reform, and others. She has been quoted in Time, Forbes, Wall Street Journal and other national and international publications. She can be found in Who's Who in America (2005-10), Who's Who of American Women (2006-10), Who's Who in Finance and Business (2006-10), and Who's Who in the World (2008).

Web Sites:

http://hsr-marilyn.blogspot.com (High-speed Rail)

http://wtsnb.blogspot.com (The Wanta Revelations)

E-Mail: marilynmacg@juno.com