Buy Bank of America

The concept of the Gentleman Farmer always resonated with me. The conservative hardworking businessman truly embodied.

We live in a more complex time than the time of the Gentleman Farmer who had his lot, worked it, and made the best of what he could. When he worked hard, innovated, cultivated and executed a plan of action he would become successful. The world would change, the market for his products would change, growing, contracting and evolving. This is what kept him on his toes. The smart, hardworking businessman / gentleman Farmer would in turn thrive and re-position as tides changed. If he did not he would fail.

What he was paid was what he earned. The more talented and hard-working the more he was able to "derive" from the fruits of his labor. If he was lazy, or mismanaged his lot, he failed and was paid nothing.

Executive pay today has lost that element of accountability. Merrill Lynch and its Chief Executive, lavishing money on a pretentious office re-do. Yes its important to have a showplace to meet with bankers and billionaires and heads of state, The White House will undergo a transformation this month, $150,000 for Mrs. Obama to put her stamp on an entire house. John Thain $1.5 Million on his personal office. What does this say to those that have their monies invested at Merrill Lynch? What does it say to those that keep getting higher fees month after month at Bank Of America, for what are you charging?

Charging fees to children and widows, to college students and moms and maids and merchants, to enrich themselves, and compensate themselves even though they are underperforming and failures at their jobs.

Who is standing up for everyone? Not just the historically discriminated against classes. Everyone!

In reality it is the Upper Middle class that gets hurt the most. The class that has worked so hard to achieve some taste of a good life that saves and squirrels away a nest egg that is above the FDIC insurance cap of $100,000. Then B of A goes away and a lifetime of education and work – gone.

Maybe the concept of paying a man what he is worth should come back as a principle, not right. The gentleman farmer always collided with the banker. Jefferson v. Hamilton.